


The Queen's Gift

by ezekiel0601



Category: Wings of Fire - Tui T. Sutherland
Genre: Adventure, Animus Magic (Wings of Fire), Canon Continuation, Canon Relationships, Developing Friendships, F/M, Flowers, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Jade Mountain Academy (Wings of Fire), Magic, Minor Character(s), Minor Original Character(s), Rainforest Kingdom, Self-Discovery
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-20
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-11 22:40:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 27,386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28875081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ezekiel0601/pseuds/ezekiel0601
Summary: Deathbringer's carelessness brought upon the greatest and scariest dragon into existence, or so he thinks as he flew through Pyrrhia in desperate attempts to repair what he broke.
Relationships: Clay/Peril (Wings of Fire), Deathbringer/Glory (Wings of Fire), Fatespeaker/Starflight (Wings of Fire), Kinkajou/Turtle (Wings of Fire)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 11
Collections: Wings of Fire





	1. Meanwhile, in the Rainforest. . .

**Author's Note:**

> Well, I'm back! It's been a while and hopefully I can continue. This short story just came out of my mind and I thought I should write it into reality. Thanks for reading in advance and I hope you enjoy a hilarious take on something small.
> 
> EDIT: So it was meant to be a one-shot turned into a few chapters, now turned into a full on story. Yes, it's something small I know, although there's so many ways that fluttered in my mind that I just couldn't decide, so expect more to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fanfiction story takes place months after the events of Darkness of Dragons, and before the events of The Lost Continent.

“Do you always have to question _every_ fruit?!”

“Why not? If I’m to rule--, I mean live, with the audacious Queen of the RainWings and the rainforest, I might as well. You’ll never know when some fruit becomes poison, right?”

Deathbringer leaned to nudge his elbow next to another RainWing, part of their kingdom's weekly checkup. His shallow attempt of making himself more “friendly” towards her subjects was becoming fruitless by the minute. As always, this wouldn’t stop him from being such bothersome.

“I swear to the moons Deathbringer if you don’t—”

Queen Glory’s colors grew as if she started to become a plum of redberry—he remembered many RainWings calling them that. A quick and easy note for him to disappear as soon as possible. He was astounded at how these other RainWings managed to adapt to her strange behavior. “You know,” he told the RainWing he nudged, looking at him or her in the eye, “lady? Gentledragon?” He still had a hard time telling the gender of this tribe.

“Whomever you all are,” he spoke to the masses, making heads turn to face him, “you all amaze me to have kept up with your new Queen while I over here--”

“Deathbringer!!!”

“Alright, alright, I’ll head out, but you won’t mind giving me another lesson of fruit naming later.”

With the added smirk of his nasty grin, the NightWing retreated to the flower hut.

The flowing smell of daffodils, sunflowers, and many others brewed a delicate scent in Deathbringer’s snout. The flower hut was nothing special, other than his escape whenever the Queen was in these meetings. Sometimes, it was easy to realize how less and less his interactions with Glory slowed because of her dedication to protecting her kind. He knew he couldn’t blame her, but as days passed and all that he did was to fly around, mess with the fruit gatherings, and play magic tricks with the RainWing dragonets. The NightWing would always remind himself that Pyrrhia was out of shape since that SandWing war and that creep giant, yet skinny as moons NightWing that popped out of nowhere from the ground and suddenly rocked the whole academy a few months ago. Glory was working on restoring what once was her Kingdom and the rest of the continent with her friends.

He thought about the situation and has gone lost in mind. Unbeknownst to him, the galloping talonsteps of another dragon hastened behind him. He turned around to see Kinkajou, who was a close friend to Glory. The yellow-purple young-ling who was more than she is.

“What are you doing??”

“Oh, Kinkajou!” He said, stumbling in surprise, accidentally pulling out the flower that oddly resembled Glory's colors. He quickly hid it behind his wing while he turned to face the young dragonet. “Nothing, nothing, just smelling, you know,” His eye quickly caught another flower and put his head forward to smell it, “Mmm, these wonderful flowers.”

“You know Glory told me to always keep an eye on you.”

“She did?” _Really?_ He took it as a compliment, a smirk growing with it. “I see, she either doesn’t trust me still, or she misses me. Of course, we both know the obvious.”

The dragonet shook her head before trying to figure out what he was hiding. “Not, in her exact words, she told me that ‘He better not break anything, I swear if he goes in the flower hut, I will pick off his talon one by one.’ Yeah, I think that’s exactly her words.”

_Forbidding me in the flower hut, eh? That’s a new low. I thought I was free to go everywhere._

Kinkajou continued. “Especially with the flower that I gave her as my present for her being Queen!”

Deathbringer felt his heart had pounced off his chest forcefully, and as fast as it beat, his breathing became heavy. “What??”

“I uh—What. . . what did it look like?”

Kinkajou was proud, very proud to have taken details about the flower that she danced it out when she explained that every color “. . .resembled her! Every color! Green, blue, orange, I could hardly believe I’d find it!”

By the time she turned around, Deathbringer was on his back towards her, trying to mess with something. “Deathbringer?”

He quickly turned around, “Yes, yes, yes?”

Kinkajou found it unusual when he spread his wings as if he was trying to hide something.

_Moons, I’m in BIG trouble, and if I don’t find a replacement now, Glory will—_

“Oh, you’re trying to learn the dance?” The yellow dragonet spoke instead. “I can help you! Maybe I should ask Glory if she wants to know it too.”

He froze for a little, “Oh! Yes, yes, yes THAT! Yes, I was TRYING to dance, but, right now I think the NightWings need me so,” He didn’t take his time to pack up the pot that he hid behind and hurriedly pushed Kinkajou away towards the exit. “Tell Glory that I’m fine and I’m returning to the home of the NightWings.” He sped the other way and took the pot with the pulled flower from the ground.

“But--”

“--and yes, teach her the dance, alright? Thanks, Kinkajou, bye!”


	2. Jade Mountain Academy

_ Where to go… _

_ Is this flower part of an occasion? _

_ Oh, her hatching day? _

_Moons, from pillaging to assassinating! How can this_ _be!_

Deathbringer couldn’t track himself clearly while he sought help. Though where else to seek a place for use about a plant other than the Rainforest Kingdom? It would’ve been a clear answer if he wasn’t so reckless and careless.

_ Suppose Glory says all about how she’d turn me inside out. What if this time, it’s true? _

This new feeling was the first of many that Deathbringer experienced, despite being an assassin, a lady-catcher as he’d call, although it was only the Queen that was his proof of it and the bravest of the NightWings.

But now, he had a new fear of facing her.

He knows he shouldn’t linger on the new realization, and it wasn’t a pretty one, to begin with, but at least he had a direction on someone who could help him, as Jade Mountain appeared through the thick fog of the late hour.

Right down below was the glamorous entrance of the academy Glory and her friends built. He galloped inside in desperation to find anyone that could help. When he entered, the halls sounded quiet, with only the wind's hollow sound and the stomp of his talons that echoed throughout.

Luckily enough, he knew someone that kept his teaching accessories in excellent care, or really, his lunch, and he wouldn’t leave them to starve until the next class if there were still classes after all the fiasco that happened here.

“Clay!” He shouted when he saw the hulking brown dragon trudging down the halls with his new catch, leaving a small trail of blood next to the carpeted floor.

“Deathbringer?” Clay turned around, seeing the NightWing barrel towards him with a beautiful flower and pot in one of his talons.

“You have to help me,” He took a deep breath from the flight, closing his wings and caught the MudWing’s attention. “Is there something here in the academy I can use to stick this flower back together?”

Clay stared at him with confused eyes. “You mean that flower?”

“Yesssss!” He heaved as the MudWing observed the plant. “Interesting, the color reminds me of Glory.”

“Oooh, tell me, how’s she doing?” Clay muttered, “I know it must be very hard commandeering two tribes, so sometimes it worries me if she’s resting, eaten? Has she eaten right? Should I send some of the freshly caught chickens?”

“Clay!” Deathbringer said, panicked. “She’s fine. She’s so wonderful that she might be looking for me because I snapped this flower gift Kinkajou gave to her.”

“CLAY!”

The quietness of the academy seemed so distant now when another dragon flew in, clearly agitated.

“Tsunami!” the MudWing cheered.

“Don’t look at me like that! Look at the blood you’re leaving from your lunch.” The SeaWing pointed with her wing, the blood that now soaked the carpet. “Whoops.”

“Plus, your chickens flew the coop. . . again.” The SeaWing rolled her eyes, “You know better just because they can’t fly doesn’t mean they won’t escape your small wooden fence.”

“Seriously?!” Clay gasped, “Ahh no, not again!” He quickly bounced away with the meat in his snout, “You better clean all this when you get back!”

Tsunami was so concerned about the blood trail that she didn’t notice Deathbringer standing the whole time. “And what are YOU doing here? The class is closed. What am I saying? You’re not in it.”

He chuckled nervously, “No, I came to escape the Rainforest,”

“You should stop getting into Glory’s nerve.” Tsunami narrowed her eyes, “I mean, you sometimes deserve it.”

“Hey! What does that suppose to mean? I mean, you don’t even know me. I could be the most handsome NightWing out there, right now.”

“Just. . .” Tsunami shook her head as if he was a pain just staring at him. Even his attempt didn’t work on her, but Deathbringer liked to assume he was too much and that Glory has the right amount of “annoying” towards him to handle him. “Why are you here before I personally drag you back with my own talons as a sacrifice to Glory since you OBVIOUSLY turned her into a red hot chili again.”

“Funny. . .” Deathbringer mumbled while lifting the flower in his talons. “Is there a way you can fix this?”

“Do I look like a flower-tailor to you?” was the first thing that Tsunami mouthed out, moving her way to wipe the blood-stained floor with a leather cloth that was nearby one of the hallway tables. “I should be the last dragon to ask that, unless--”

“Now you’re caught up,” Deathbringer said once she faced him with gaping eyes.

“Now I really DO want to drag you back.”


	3. The Plan

“How do you fix a flower?” Clay scratched his head with the question, looking at the subtle colors of the petals. He could see who this flower was meant to be given to.

“You can’t ‘fix’ a flower, you know,” Tsunami intervened after closing the wooden gate in the prey center of the academy after they all rounded up the chickens that escaped, “you either pluck it out, or you don’t.”

Deathbringer, mind in desperation, hoped to find any flower similar to it in the forested area around the prey center. His hope was only filled with luck, just like the last mission, he was sent by Morrowseer, being all “lucky to have been imprisoned and alive” rather than skill. He shrugged and smiled at that thought, though it didn’t last long when he returned back to them, even if in the back of his head, he didn’t expect to find it so quickly in the first place.

Clay lifted his head when Deathbringer returned, the look of an idea in him spewing. “What if we ask Stonemover? He could try to use animus magic to put the flower back?”

It was not only a great idea, but it was also the easiest! But the response from the SeaWing gave second thoughts. “Sure, just try to convince someone afraid of magic in the first place to fix it.”

“Is it that hard to?” Deathbringer asked Tsunami. She was quick to reply with her tentative tone. “He never wanted to use the magic in the first place. I seriously doubt he’d be of any help because he’s always worried about his soul.”

“What about my father?”

Everyone turned to the happier toned voice of a small SandWing approaching the prey center. Clay didn’t hesitate to run up to her with a huge embrace. “Sunny!”

As if it felt like a long while since he was able to embrace Glory like Clay is to Sunny.

“Seriously? What’s with everyone coming to the academy on its off time?” Tsunami snickered, albeit happy to see Sunny, “I mean Starflight never leaves the library along with Fatespeaker, but they don’t count.”

“I just came to return a few of the relics I thought would be useful for when the class opens again,” she spoke, “then dash off to see my mother!”

“And Clay?” the little SandWing looked up to his eyes, trying to stifle a giggle, raising her claw to cover her snout, “I think you missed one of the chickens. I saw one drinking by the stream on my way here, and I know how fond you are with them.”

“What?” Clay flashed his head, “I thought I caught Browny.”

“I don’t think so, Clay, because I counted fifteen unless you ate him.” Tsunami said, chuckling.

“Moons, you’ve got to be kidding me,” Clay uttered disappointingly. It was all about food for the MudWing.

_I can see why she cherishes them all._

“Ooooh!” Sunny quickly took attention to the flower he had in his talons, clasping her own. “What a pretty flower!”

“May I?” She asked, and he didn’t hesitate to let her see, “Wow! It has Glory’s colors!”

“Yeah, and it probably IS for Glory,” The SeaWing beckoned, “Am I right?”

“Sure, sure, fine, whatever.” Deathbringer sighed.

“We’ve been trying to figure out how to put it back in the pot he carried with him,” Tsunami explained to Sunny, pointing at the leaf-wrapped pot with the stem still intact. “Squid-brain here ‘accidentally’ plucked it out.”

“No, I did not!” Deathbringer quickly shot back an argument, although it was just his proud self trying to defend a hopeless fight. “I mean, I did, but it really was an accident. You know us dragons can get a little sharp.”

“Poor Glory,” Sunny’s look on the flower turned melancholic, “isn’t her hatching day approaching?” Sunny remarked to Tsunami.

“I swear to the moons, this is giving me more reasons to go back to her Kingdom. I just want to see what she’d do to him with her hatching day present ruined by her ‘one and only.’”

“Tsunami!” Sunny bellowed, agitated that surprised the NightWing that she was even defending him, “We should at least help him.”

“Ahh, fine.”

The question of direction to where they’ll seek help still lies in wait. Deathbringer could already hear from them that the prominent place to start is at the Rainforest Kingdom, while he’d stay in Jade Mountain to make sure he wasn’t found because she definitely has an army waiting for him.

They were in the library; Starflight didn’t really look so happy to see them since both he and Fatespeaker recently cleaned the entire cave of scrolls and placed them in order inside the shelves. Now they had to invade the cleanliness just to look for what type of plant he held.

“You all should try to put them back where you found them. All that time facing Darkstalker made this place a catastrophe,” Starflight spoke to the group, “It’s already hard enough when I’m blind.”

“And when did YOU get so bossy?” Tsunami boldly responded.

“Someone has to take the reins to avoid any more clutter.”

“It’s alright, Starflight,” Fatespeaker intervened, nudging his shoulder, “I can clean them up. I’m not the blind one here.”

“Fatespeaker--”

She chuckled instead, which seemed to be a signal that lowered Starflight’s gaze.

Deathbringer tapped his talons while the other two clobbered scroll after scroll in the corner where ‘medicine/herbs/plants’ was located among the many scrolls. He grabbed one after he approached, wanting to help, but his lack of fully understanding the dragon language wasn’t as far to be useful. Scribbled words and phrases that lined along neatly through the tattered material. This one specifically discussed something about using kelp as an alternative to an emergency whenever injured near water. Everything else was just a blur due to his lacking of knowledge. Sighing, he placed it back, out of respect for Starflight.

“This is hopeless!” Tsunami uttered suddenly while roughly placing the scroll back with a thud. Starflight perked up by the sound and naturally hurried to where the shelf almost toppled over, but Fatespeaker avoided his approach, sure to know he’ll hurt himself by bumping into their way. “No, it’s fine, Starflight.”

“If Turtle was here, this problem would’ve been over with,” Tsunami added after a few more glances around.

Sunny’s eyes sparked, “Hey! Why not ask Turtle?”

Deathbringer hasn’t heard that name a lot, although a distant memory flashed back to that green SeaWing having animus as well. “Ohhhhh,” He howled.

“Sure, as if I know where he would be.” Tsunami’s disinterest in actually helping was becoming much more apparent, a further testament to her desire to see him punished. _Of all dragons. . ._

“Wasn’t he returning to the Sea Kingdom?” Sunny asked, wondering.

“Oh yeah,” the SeaWing chuckled, “We did order everyone to return home.”

Sunny sighed, but her smile ultimately returned, “Then that’s where we should--”

She was disturbed by the clash of thunder just outside the cave that lightly shook the academy. While a hustle of talonsteps strengthened behind. Clay returned, gasping for air while he soaked rainwater to the floor that provoked Tsunami to growl.

“Sorry, Tsunami,” Clay said in between his breaths, “but it’s raining very hard.”

“Don’t tell me there’s--”

“It’s very dark out.” Fatespeaker intruded Tsunami after glancing out to see the dark clouds that were on the horizon suddenly reaped through the land of Jade Mountain and the academy.

Although Deathbringer didn’t have any concern, since he flew in worse conditions before and even risked his life many times throughout his venture under Morrowseer’s command. “Won’t be a problem. Is it the Sea Kingdom, right? I can fly there.”

Clay shook his head, “It’s pretty dark to be safe. It might be a storm.”

“But I have no time to wait out a storm!” Deathbringer argued, picking up the pot and the flower. “I got a flower to fix and an Animus SeaWing to look for.”

“It’s not safe,” Sunny faced her worrisome eyes towards him that was hard to ignore, “Clay’s right, we should stay for a little so that we could--”

Deathbringer wasn’t going to wait. No, he wasn’t, and as quickly as he could back himself from the group, he rushed out. Some scrolls collapsed on the way as he jumped into one of the open windows of the hallway that overlooked the forest and quickly took to the darkened and flashy skies, determined to repair his mistake.

“That IDIOT!” Tsunami screeched, stopping at the base of the open window.

“Deathbringer!” Sunny yelled from behind her before a flash of light summoned just near them, with the cackle of the thunderstorm immediately following. “Three moons!”

“He’s really going to get himself killed,” the SeaWing muttered after covering her face with her wings as the wind strengthened and the rain poured louder.

“We can’t let him venture alone. Does he even know where the new Sea Palace is at?” Clay asked.

“Are you asking me to risk my life just to--”

“Do we have a choice?” Sunny quickly spoke back against the tormenting rain, followed by her taking off after the NightWing.

“Sunny! Wait!” Clay trailed after her, with Tsunami right behind him.

“After all this, I’ll personally throw him in a cage.”


	4. The Storm

There was no mistake that this was a decision he quickly regretted as roars of thunder clashed in his ears like banging a sheet of metal with a blunt weapon directly towards it. Winds so heavy it tilted his flight, feeling the pressure beneath his wing membrane stretching to their capacity, trying to lift him forward. He held the flower pot tightly, something that probably was precious to Glory, and with minutes on end, he could feel the guilt of his carelessness pulling him down. This weight was much heavier than he’d ever carry. He wouldn’t feel any guilt with his misdemeanor, but this struck his heart like lightning, as strong as the ones he’s battling through.

A close pull from the wind’s strength almost flipping him threw him back at reality. When a shriek followed was when he stopped in his tracks,

_Three Moons!_

The SandWing stuck out, spinning in circles when her lighter weight couldn’t bear against the heavy winds. The MudWing barreled down to catch her, which only sent the two falling faster. His heart beating more quickly by the minute, Deathbringer growled to himself, punishing for putting others at risk.

Both he and Tsunami dove to reach their talons to Clay and Sunny. All while the world was falling towards them. The grassy knoll below is growing in their sights too fast. It was too late to try and avoid a fall. Sunny grasped upon Deathbringer while Clay wrapped his wing around Tsunami. At the last minute, Deathbringer built-up heat under his throat in the attempt to clear the trees out of the way, blasting it when it was mere feet away before piles of branches, rocks, and eventually the soft rocks collided against his scales. He held on to the grassy pot and Sunny tight while he spun against the ground from the impact.

Until all that he felt was the rain splashing down in his scales and the warmth that came from the SandWing that he covered.

Sunny shook her scales after getting off of Deathbringer. “Are you alright?” She asked, giving her a silent nod from the NightWing.

“Where’s Clay and Tsunami?” her voice tightened when the color of brown and blue wasn’t near them, but it wasn’t the only thing that worsened the situation.

Sunny was calling out their name, while Deathbringer’s eyes widened to see his other talon empty. The colorful bud of the flower, gone.

_No, no, no, no, no._

Deathbringer swerved his head, looking at the incline of rocks ahead and many trees on the right, while the storm only aggravated the condition of visibility.

_No, No, No, NO, NO!_

“We’re fine!” called out a voice from a distance.

“We’re over here!” Sunny replied, waving her talons to Clay and Tsunami's slow appearance trudging out of the small forest.

“We need to get out of this storm!” Clay shouted, shielding his two friends with his wing from the downpour.

“Where is it?!” he couldn’t get himself to listen to the group while he ran around, seeing through the grass outside the forested terrain.

“I am SO done with this flower saving,” Tsunami uttered angrily, taking a moment to pull the ignorant Nightwing's tail and dragging him back into shelter further down where Clay and Sunny already settled.

“What in the MOONS are you doing? Stop pulling my tail!” Deathbringer jerked it away from her grasp.

“You’re out there, trying to get a flower! In the storm!” replied Tsunami, her outrage louder than the storm’s roars. “Are you out of your mind?”

“Me?” Deathbringer lifted his talons to his chest, “I never! Unlike the other time when I almost got caught with the SkyWings during the SandWing war. I underestimated their flying--”

“Okay, just stop,” the SeaWing raised her talons. “That was out of the question.”

Deathbringer held the moist, filled pot of what was left but the stem. Tsunami looked as if she’d grow wrinkles the more frustrated she became, while Sunny and Clay huddled from the cold. The air felt heavy because he knew he was holding something back.

“Why did you all follow me in the first place?” Deathbringer threw it out, motioning his semi-disappointment.

Their eyes caught his. “I mean, it’s not like it’s a bad thing. Never once would I be followed--”

“We weren’t going to leave you alone, Deathbringer,” Sunny exclaimed, interrupting his attempt to soften the atmosphere in the small damp cave they found. Suddenly, that feeling of guilt returned, not as profound as before, yet it was a feeling so new to him that he couldn’t adapt to it, making him shrink. “You wouldn’t listen.”

“My adventures are dangerous,” he perked up, “It’s why I was the assassin.”

“Perhaps they left out your lack of common sense to fly against a storm,” Tsunami muttered under her breath.

“Glory’s hatching day is approaching soon,” he pointed out, “How ridiculous to my popularity would it be if I delivered back her given present days after?”

Sunny looked distraught as if he were missing the point that he wasn’t really catching. Tsunami budged in for Sunny, stomping her talons to the floor. “Oysters and Seashells. We DON’T want you to die.”

It was a sentiment that should’ve already gone in his head, yet it only went over. Although in that mess lay a small ounce of happiness to hear it from them, even if it’s been that way since he met them all.

“Did that go through your squid-brain?”

Deathbringer chuckled, “I’ve been risking so much, maybe it’s hard for me to settle with it.”

The tone in the cave lowered comfortable enough for Sunny to speak, lifting her head under Clay’s embrace. “You don’t need to,” her bright smile grew with those words.

“This isn’t the way of life anymore, in Pyrrhia,” said Clay. “No dragon is left alone and fends on their own. We work together to help each other.”

For someone who has been a lone wolf most of his life, it was an inkling feeling to know he had dragons on his back, other than a NightWing who commanded him behind his back. It seemed as if the weather reflected how he felt when they assured him.

“Of course, you can’t get in the Sea Kingdom without me,” said Tsunami, “the Deep Palace is where my tribe resides, and I heavily doubt you’d know where that is.”

“Oh... right,” Deathbringer scratched the back of his head nervously, glancing down to the once beautiful flower now a stem. It didn’t stop the tremble in his talons.

Sunny, perhaps sharing the same feeling, took the pot. “Is it still possible?”

“I don’t know,” Clay replied despondently.

“We have to try.”

Deathbringer looked out into the open. Still, the storm continued. While the air breezed inside a cold, tingly feeling. Deathbringer gathered a few twigs from the fall and blew a flame to cast warmth in their hollow cave. At least until the storm weakens.

_We have to try._


	5. Into the Palace

How long has it been? Three days? The constant lapse of the sun and moon rising and setting through the clear clouds was hard to keep track of. In terms of wondering how long they’ve flown since the storm. It’s a gift, almost, to Deathbringer. The universe wanted to remind him that he couldn’t just wander around like before, hunt like the assassin that he was under a tyrannical leader off to give the NightWings a better place to live. That past was long gone.

Even if he hadn’t spent so much time with the former Dragonets of Destiny, their caring and determination made it seem like he was a part of them for life. Well, Tsunami. . .

_She had her way of caring. If not, then why else was she along for the flight?_

“I can’t wait to see your home again, Tsunami.” Sunny spoke, her voice as excited that only radiated a warm feeling for Deathbringer.

Tsunami scoffed, “I wouldn’t, probably. Remember it was ruined?” her response seemed inappropriate with her unusual look, and Sunny’s smile drifted down a little. Deathbringer already had the memories of Tsunami having a more tarnished face for a while. Back to when Clay only left her the bones when they ate last night, to him foolishly being out in the storm and reasoning with him.

Maybe she was excited as well? He wouldn’t understand.

“It’s the seal that I’m excited for.”

Oh right, there was the MudWing, Clay. He’d never imagine him feeling himself an entire deer during their hunt. It explains why he took little care of the animals in their pen escaping. They probably couldn’t last a day with him in charge. “You think they could give us the same feast as last time?”

“Well, there is no war to concern about,” The SeaWing turned to Clay, “I’m sure as the frogs croak that she’s busier tending to Anemone now that school is finished for a while.”

“So, it should be an easy breeze look for Turtle, and we’ll be fine?”

“You’re a NightWing.” she first decided to blurt out that confused him, and from the looks of the other two, he wasn’t the only one.

“It’s not like it’s an easy ‘Alright! Fine! Welcome to the Ruined Palace and go look for Turtle!’ go in and out. I know my mother still has concerns with other tribes coming to her palace without prior knowledge.”

Sunny flew to catch up, “So if they see us three, it has to show that we trust Deathbringer.”

 _Right. They probably never met me,_ Deathbringer’s mind concluded. _Maybe a NightWing in this regard._

The flight was about to end when Deathbringer's eyes caught on the glistening waves of the water ahead. The sparkling trimmings of the surface shining upon the sun's light, beaming relentlessly. The breeze that caught their wings wasn't as strong and more relaxing than the storm. The four dragons landed upon the sunny, sandy beach, the waves crashing into their talons before retreating smoothly back to the sea ahead.

"So, where is this Palace?" Deathbringer was easy to share his curiosity.

"It's still being fixed after the war," Tsunami's eyes seemed to fall to her feet, "with it being destroyed."

Deathbringer wondered what reason it is to just fly here if there wasn't even a plan. Tsunami was quick to answer a few moments later, trudging towards the deep blue water. "That's where we can look for Turtle first, and if he's not there, I'll head to our new home and look for him there."

"Great idea!" Sunny cheered, flaring her wings like a dragonet, making Clay laugh.

With Tsunami nodding to their agreement, they took off into the vast, open ocean towards the Sea Palace's Ruins.

The winds have gone much more apparent the further they flew away from inland. Deathbringer couldn't believe at all how exhausting flying would be, as he felt his wings tremble against the forces of nature when he always knew and thought in the back of his mind that he's an excellent flier. Turning his glance to Sunny, Clay in front of him, he was surprised how less trouble they were, flying calmly. Below was Tsunami, deciding to swim earlier during their flight. She's been joyous since that it was the thing she needed to cheer up that angered tone of hers.

His first glance of seeing other SeaWings was atop a huge earth that sat enormously ahead once they rested on an island from the flight. The greeneries sprouted all over, making it look like a floating forest in the middle of nowhere. The fact that SeaWings flew in and out from the top of the islands' green filled roof was enough indication that under all those leaves was the hidden Summer Palace. Tsunami spoke with them during their rest to plan out how their visit will play out. Her being the first, with Clay, Sunny, and Deathbringer to follow inconspicuously to avoid suspicion. His mind couldn't fly off on what was making this more challenging than it should be, but then again, he was a NightWing, and perhaps they're not so welcoming like almost any other tribes would react.

"We got the plan?" Tsunami muttered, looking back at him and the others.

"Try not to look suspicious, yes," Deathbringer replied, nodding, but he couldn't help the smirk growing in his face. Tsunami rolled her eyes, "I mean it."

_She really couldn't take things any more seriously. . ._

The waves crashed ferociously around the rocks that formed the island when they closed in. Immediately just flying to get a better look was met with SeaWings carrying spears as if the war hadn’t ended. After going through one war, then a monster-sort crawling out of the den for thousands of years, he understood the point; he hadn’t seen that much from the RainWings. Too much fun, perhaps, fooling around like the dragonet-minded that he was.

They came to them, weapon ready before the SeaWings immediately backed down when they looked towards Tsunami as if they just saw the worst thing of their entire lives. Then out of nowhere, her scales and wings lit up that Deathbringer had never witnessed. “Princess!” One of them said while they glared to bow upon the royalty. He saw Tsunami’s grin grew as she declared her request. “I humbly, not really, ask that you all bring my brother.”

The SeaWing guards exchanged glances with each other. “Which one?”

“Turtle.”

Then before one of them could reply, a much more demeaning SeaWing flew right over them, hovering them as if he commanded the entire SeaWing guards. “What is this?”

Sunny backed up behind Clay’s form as if this pale green SeaWing bearing some kind of shiny blue armor was a threat, but Tsunami held no regard. “Shark, we’re just here to find Turtle. Have you seen him?”

The SeaWing glare moved towards Deathbringer and the other two dragons behind Tsunami. What was with his business of staring down with his cold dark eyes like he could kill just by looking. He knows it would take more than just exchanging glances. Perhaps this “Shark” was probably single.

“And is the Queen notified of this sudden visit?” Shark’s tone, dark and articulate, felt like it could crawl into his scales, and he’d be too late to run from it.

“These are my friends.” Tsunami exclaimed in response, “Moons, you don’t remember them?”

Clay gently waved his talons to the outspoken SeaWing. It wasn’t of any help turning this dragon’s frown back up.

“The dragons you swore to protect by my request, yet you jailed us and thought you’d have a better handle for the war, and you didn’t?”Tsunami expressed so proudly with her talons waving to add depth, acting that this was all a joke.

 _You know you should really stop riling him up._ Deathbringer’s instincts wanted to remind Tsunami.

The NightWing became surprised at the retreat of the SeaWing grumpy-face, “Save your squabbles, Princess. It’s the protocol.”

“I can bypass your stupid protocol,” she looked as if she had enough, “I’m just looking for my brother. How hard could that be?! Do I need to sign a declaration for every SeaWing to look for him? Have my thirty-one other brothers to look for him?”

How does she do that? He wondered, trying to hold a chuckle, gripping the leafy pot he had that he didn’t realize for a while until the stem slowly popped out from his squeeze. Deathbringer quickly loosened that grip and gently pressed the dirt back together. To think that she could talk to Shark like this. Deathbringer was perplexed. If it were him, the dragon he’d been talking to would’ve just spilled his guts on the spot. That’s probably the upside of being royalty that you could only tease and bully anyone, and they’d have no choice but to obey.

_And Glory is Queen. . ._

_Would she? After all this?_

“Fine.” Shark boomed, waving his talons towards the other three guards that were with him. Soon, they fled in directions away from them. “No, I haven’t seen Turtle, my Princess,” he continued, the grumble in his voice turned much more lenient and capable, “but I have my SeaWings look around to find him, although I’d hardly remember if I saw Turtle here last time.”

“Well, I have other plans,” Tsunami turned to view the other dragons and Deathbringer behind her, “I’d request for them to stay here in one of the safe caves in the palace until I return and see the Queen.”

“Oh, and can there also be some--” Clay intruded before Tsunami spoke, “And yes, bring a seal or a whale for the big brown one. He’s your worst nightmare if you don’t feed him.”

“Tsunami. . .” Sunny whispered when she approached her, giving her a mischievous smile instead.

“This way,” Shark flew back, offering his talons to be ahead. Whoever this Shark was, Deathbringer noted that he shouldn’t be dealt with or joked with unless Tsunami was around.

The SeaWing Princess took off one way while the other three went the other. The sight of the palace’s ruined sculpture, as tall as the mountainous island itself, stood in pieces in front of them and below. Sunny’s eyes forcefully closed upon their entryway into a devastating land below, brimming with blood and scales scattered dwindling in the sunlight as SeaWings glanced at them back during their cleaning operation. _So much work to do, glad we’re not in it,_ Deathbringer said in his head.

Now he knew why about Tsunami staying for their benefit when Shark spoke to them. “I don’t expect to babysit you all while you’re around. We have our priorities to take care of, and so should you all, by staying inside until she returns.”

 _What happened to the respect the visitor behavior?_ Deathbringer cramped his eye to that (supposed to be?) response from the SeaWing while they were lured into a small hollow cave. Shark hovered in front of the cave, a reclusive look towards him, specifically that Deathbringer had to look back in the same way just to lift his spirits. “What is that you’re holding?”

Deathbringer looked down and held the pot high to the SeaWing, “Something that needs to be fixed, sir of the highest regard.”

“I think what he meant to say is that it’s a flower,” Sunny interfered, “We just need help because Turtle knows more about flowers, other than the RainWings, but there’s a long story for that.”

He glanced at Clay huddling above a step of the cave, “I wonder how krill taste here.”

“Oh, and don’t expect your request for food,” Shark added, “Feed yourself, lazy MudWing. The war ended a long time ago.”

The SeaWing flew away, and the quiet suddenly drew over the cave other than the usual scrambling and SeaWings shouting. Sunny cuddled close to Clay while he lay. “I’m sorry, Clay,” she said wistfully. He smiled in return, not minding what Shark noted that, in fact, plucked Deathbringer’s heart to know Glory’s friend was dealt with like this. Flashes upon his time under Darkstalker’s command were painful to think. He hated how that SeaWing made him relive those memories.

What was strange most was his consideration for these feelings of himself towards others. Of course, he hadn’t taken them too seriously like in the past, but now, why was he concerned. Why did the past haunt him at this time? Why does it all matter?

All this work, just for a flower. What if this flower Deathbringer held in his talons is NOT even a priority to Glory?

_No, it’s from her closest friend. There’s no way she’d disregard it._

_What am I doing? Am I doubting my thoughts of her?_

It was concerning then that a mission is this ridiculous as this can change him so much.

“Deathbringer?”

That’s when he snapped out of it, he hadn’t known how long he took being silent and in his head, but the orange glare of the sun outside the cave might’ve told how much time passed. “Huh?”

He took glances, his eyes darting in all directions until he noticed the small yellow dragon, Sunny. “You look disappointed.”

Deathbringer forced a cheery smile as if the rain would come if he talked a little downcasted towards her, “No, no, no, it’s alright. It’s exhausting trying to fix a mistake that shouldn’t even have happened.”

Sunny sat next to him, “Everyone makes mistakes. Nobody’s perfect.”

It was those simple words that compelled him to ask, “Well, some dragons have much higher expectations than usual. I had my mother, then Morrowseer, then Glory.”

She chuckled, “I know, Glory can be a little hard to work with when she’s serious,” it felt so much easier to understand and even enjoy her conversation than Tsunami or Glory. It’s no wonder why she’s the most believing of the group when he first met them, “but she’s sweet to those she cares about. Maybe you’re special to her, that you complete her whenever things become worrying and serious.”

“You think so?” Deathbringer lost count of how many times he was yelled at by her. It wasn’t a bad thing, but it was very much like Glory to release that anger to someone, and perhaps he was her solution.

“I don’t think so, I know,” Sunny responded, touching the pot and looking at it with hope in her eyes, which only made him smile to know to see her positivism shining on those who felt down like he was.

“I know that she’s more worried about you than the flower we’re trying to revive.”

Deathbringer never thought of it that way. His concern for making his mistake only blinded him to the fact that he’s been gone for days. “Oh.”

“I second that,” Clay walked up to them, “Glory always thinks about us first, and I bet she’s wondering where you’ve been off to.”

“I’ll still get berated by her, inevitably,” Deathbringer told them and chuckled, “It’s not that I don’t expect that. I still made a mistake.”

“Which is why we’re here to help you, right Clay?” Sunny turned to the MudWing, only to get a grumble in his stomach. “Sure, if I could get some--”

Something suddenly flopped through the entrance of the cave. Clay was quick to devour the tumbling fish as two SeaWings came in. Tsunami with her mean look as usual, and a more scrunched up SeaWing, not as tall as Tsunami, but had a similar, albeit darker scale color as Shark, holstering a brown pouch full of whatever it is in his neck that slumped around upon his arrival, and a gold-colored wrapping of a band in his right arm.

“I knew Shark was up to his pride-filled shenanigans.” Tsunami growled when she looked to see Clay finishing the fish whole, a smile trimming in his snout that gave a warm giggle for the SandWing. “I never thought he’d still act that way.” Sunny commented.

“Hey, Turtle!” Sunny decided to bring up the SeaWing at the table. How easily he was able to disappear almost behind Tsunami’s stern gaze. He lifted his head out of Tsunami’s presence and gave a little wave to the SandWing.

“So what was the problem?” Turtle muttered quietly, but it wasn’t hard for him to notice the small pot of a stem that Sunny was holding. “What’s that?”

Tsunami walked towards them, Deathbringer sitting to listen as she explained, “Flower, no buds, NightWing geezer over there lost them. You, do some of the work you did to heal dragons and heal this flower, so it blooms back its colors.”

Turtle tilted his head, “Why need it just for a plant?”

“It’s more than just a plant,” Tsunami sighed, “It’s Glory’s given flower for her upcoming hatching day, and apparently,” she swung her talons towards Deathbringer, “he doesn’t know how to be careful.”

The NightWing inside him wanted to mumble back and reject that claim, but it was already hopeless, to begin with, and knowing they already wasted enough time just to revive it.

They all gathered around the plant when Turtle agreed for the help, it wasn’t much to take in regards to magic, but it would do so much support to Deathbringer when the colors finally bloom once again so everything, all this, can be back to normal and Glory can forgive him.

It’s what he hoped when Turtle took a smooth stone in the small incline that had a pointed edge to it and whispered words that he could hear while the SeaWing closed his eyes. This was it, seeing animus power in action.

_"I enchant this stone once to make the plant it touches grow and blossom its bright colors and only halt and terminate the enchantment when I tap it once."_

Everybody around him was waiting to witness the magic, but as seconds passed and the stone touched the green plant's stem.

_What?..._

Nothing happened.

“Why isn’t it working?” Deathbringer whispered.

A full minute passed, then Turtle tapped the stone once and placed the stone in his pouch. Everybody else was speechless.

“There’s only one explanation for this.” Turtle looked to Deathbringer, and as if the world stopped for a minute.

“It’s dead.”


	6. Understanding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to personally thank angelkat for helping and offering to beta read my chapters! Cheers!

“What do you mean it’s dead?!” Deathbringer couldn’t help from flaring his wings as wide as the cave allowed, his disbelief echoing throughout the hollow cave. It seemed right after all when they came all the way here for nothing.

 _Of course, you spineless idiot. It’s dead. What would you expect a dragon to do without its head?_ His head berated him in a way that he didn’t like.

“There you are acting surprised,” Tsunami spoke, narrowing her eyes towards him, “of course, you spineless idiot, it’s dead. What would you expect a dragon to do without its head?”

The fact that she voiced his exact thoughts stopped him from crunching his face any further due to his disappointment, and instead, he only stared back at her, silently in consternation.

“Well, Tsunami.” Turtle interjected, gently squeezing the leaf pot with his talons. All the dragons watched as the slimy-like dirt flowed out. “Specifically, it drowned.”

Sunny watched disgustingly, sticking her forked tongue. Clay seemed amused. “Plants can drown?” he asked.

“Of course,” the green SeaWing started as he placed the pot down, “plants need both water and sunlight to grow. Too much water in its roots, and it'll die.” Clay nodded immediately to his response, mouthing an “Ohhh” with his mouth, while Sunny’s ears drooped from just knowing that the beautiful flower was lost. At least there was someone here that probably showed promise to plant knowledge.

That, was it? Now that the plant is dead since it can’t be revived with possibly the only magical phenomenon Pyrrhia can provide, what was the next step? Deathbringer’s thoughts wandered into the assessments of a pretender. Perhaps recreating a fake flower would suffice, but before he could continue further, he quickly scolded his thoughts for even assembling that in the first place. Glory deserves more than a fake flower. That’s like telling her his love for her was just as affected. In fact, where could they even go to gather the colors?

 _Come on, you small-brained lunatic!_ his brain screamed at him. (Wow, self burn.) _You really have to put me through your usual trickery when you and I both know we really messed up here!_

It would’ve been easier if anyone knew the type of flower that was, although from the looks of Turtle, who gave the curved stem a closer look, noticed something that raised one of his eyebrows a little. “Hmm...”

Deathbringer brought his observation out, moving in closer to look along with him. “What is it? See something that perhaps makes it possible for the stem to grow a flower?”

Turtle turned, looking at him with a confused expression. “What?”

“Throwing out ideas,” Deathbringer said with a nervous chuckle, “I’m desperate, you know.”

And that desperation grew more than Deathbringer was capable of, and he’s being worked up about a _flower!_ He experienced much more outlandish plans, missions, schemes and even dreamed about a scavenger who managed to talk to him before. This? Worrying about a flower and Deathbringer might believe in most of what Glory tells him when he goes crazy. In reasonable ways, of course.

With her in his mind, Deathbringer collected himself while the other dragons conversated about what different ways they could find a similar type of flower. Of course, Clay brought up the obvious answer, which was to speak to any flower expert. Sunny and Tsunami quickly realized that Tamarin would be their most obvious choice of solution. “Yes!” Sunny exclaimed, “Maybe she’ll know exactly where to find a ‘Glory.’”

“So, we’re off to the RainWing Kingdom then after all?” Deathbringer’s tone collapsed while Tsunami chuckled if he heard it behind her talons to her snout. “As much as I want _and pray to the MOONS_ for you to be there. You should return to the academy, put that self-proclaimed ' smartness’ to work,” she bent her talon to illustrate her quoting him, “and find out where else we could find the ‘Glory’ flowers.”

Deathbringer nodded, exhaling. 

“Oh, and just to let you know,” Tsunami continued just when she was about to bolt out of the cave, probably to make sure of their safe exit since being in this ruined palace has been nothing but a lot of echoed whispers from the SeaWing workers below. They were probably wondering about this sudden meeting with dragons from so many different tribes. “No promises that I’ll cover you if Glory asks me in particular where you are.”

“Yeah, you didn’t need to remind me of that.” He flashed her his signature smirk. “Just make sure you make it sound like I’m bragging.”

She shook her head, rolling her eyes at his request. “Sureeeeee, like she’s going to believe me.”

This was a great chance, though, to think on his own what to do. The last time he felt like this, he was trying to decide how to kill one of the Commander of the SandWings and getting away with it when there were five too many dragons against one of him.

Turtle was the most excited of the group about visiting the RainWing Kingdom, pleading to Tsunami for him to join them while they took off to talk to Shark, who he could see just watching over the entire island, sitting on the broken earth that was once covered the whole Palace to protect from invaders, which failed.

“There won’t be a mean RainWing there to stop you from eating a lot!” Sunny cheered louder than their usual talkative tone with Clay, who was smiling as well.

“I know! It’s been a while since I tried one of their watermelons. I wanted to try and see if I could eat it whole.”

Sunny dismissively shook her talons, “I don’t think that’s such a good idea--” but Clay interjected, pointing his snout while he gaped it open, trying to let Sunny see if it's possible, “Yaa--thankk--saww?” 

Sunny burst out laughing. “Yes, I think you shouldn’t.”

What was unique about all this is that despite his lack of interaction, he was genuinely smiling. Deathbringer was enjoying how they collaborated. Perhaps it was so much more fun, knowing that they didn’t have the entire world on their shoulders, and Pyrrhia is at peace thanks to them. It annoyed him to know how much he wasted his time in the past, with much of his past self not willing to socialize with the mere number of dragons he trusted (he doesn’t even know if he had anyone besides Morrowseer and his mother Quickstrike) and only sit by and finish what he was tasked to do. He read all the scrolls he had that taught him survival lessons, learned from his mother, and given orders to execute his profession from Morrowseer once under his command, Deathbringer thought he had everything. Now he gave his best choice to spare someone he finally cared for who saved him from his spree of killings and living a lonely life. He felt he had everything!

_So why does it not feel that way?_

The silent breeze of the wind blowing and whistling against his ears helped his thoughts collect themselves. This was the means to attain his concentration to the fullest. The only difference is that before, his problems were external. He was depended upon, trusted to make his tribe’s lives much better. He’d assess the situation outside, learn the advantages, strategies, and concepts he’d plan for his mission to succeed, and leave without a trace, all in one smooth motion. Now? Nobody depended on him. He wasn’t out to do a deed. He was there, just there. He found his interest where to fool around and get attention, that being berated was okay because he felt like he mattered. Deathbringer concluded that he was missing something.

This time, he had to look inside himself for the answer.

Was it the end when he told himself that once he found someone to care about, he’d stop? What more could be within? He didn’t have the slightest clue on how relationships worked. Mutual relationships were all that he was excellent at, only when anyone useful to his mission mattered, but now that he found Glory. It was her he chose, what then? Just bother her for the rest of her life? Be there just to toughen her already challenging position of handling an entire kingdom? Maybe this can prove his worth of caring, but there was another question in mind.

_How does caring work? So mysteriously that I’d care about a flower._

Deathbringer must have been buried so deep in his thoughts that he didn't notice the great Jade Mountain sprouting from the distance until its shadows directly loomed over him. He slowed his flight and glided down to the academy once he spotted the entryway and traveled inside its quiet walls.

 _Aaaaand I’m back!_ Deathbringer shouted in his mind, traversing through the alleyways and corridors of the quiet academy before a couple of talonsteps slowly resonated louder into a sudden halt. The other NightWing, Fatespeaker, looked up in slight shock. “Oh? You’re all back?”

“Nope, just me,” Deathbringer replied, glancing back directly to the neatly lined up scrolls.

“Oh, so what brings you back?” Fatespeaker asked but already directed herself to an assumption. “Ooh, you found a way to get the flower fixed? How was Turtle?”

“You,” Deathbringer started before pausing for a bit, trying to think of a way to explain what happened, “you can probably say it that way, and Turtle? He’s alright.” _Shame, I wanted to see the magic unfold in my eyes._ He silently grumbled in his head.

She smiled. “Even when school is done, I sort of miss them and the other winglets when this place was bustling--” and it went on from there.

Deathbringer went ahead and browsed through the shelves of scrolls. It surprised Deathbringer that she’d bother rambling on and on about anything even after he made it clear that he was busy. 

He was glad when he intentionally left some of the scrolls unrolled, forcing her to forget her ramblings, roll it, and return it neatly back in place. “What are you looking for anyway?” Fatespeaker decided to intrude, which quickly made his idea of leaving scrolls unrolled a disaster.

Regardless, it would be a good idea to have someone help him glance through all these scrolls, searching for any one of them that described the flower. “Maybe you and Starflight can help,” he muttered, forgetting at first, but realized it at the same time Fatespeaker told him that "Starflight can't see."

“R-right,” Deathbringer chuckled, and Fatespeaker, being the kind soul that she was, joined in to ease him, “I forgot.”

“By the way, where is he?” That was another late realization when he assumed the two were inseparable. Fatespeaker pulled a scroll out and unrolled it. “Oh, Starflight? I made him rest in one of the empty winglets room nearby. I swear to the _Moons_ , he just can’t give himself time to rest since all that work of organizing left him a little grumpy.” She laughed, quickly covering her snout with her talon, aware that she could wake him from the slumber she knew he needed.

That was when he asked her, “Is he more of your boss? What is he to you?”

Fatespeaker fell into silence. She glared at the scroll but probably wasn’t even reading it. Perhaps asking her straightforward wasn’t the most fantastic idea, but he thought he should ask someone who seemed to have it for him to understand feelings _._

“Starflight is someone I could trust,” she started, though it was a little tangential to his question, “I mean, of course, there are many other dragons I trust, including basically everyone here, and in the Rainforest Kingdom, but--”

It was clear that she was having difficulty blurting out her feelings, so he quickly dialed it back. “I understand,” he smiled, “I thought I knew too how to interpret feelings.”

“Oh, it’s not that at all,” Fatespeaker denied, mildly stunning Deathbringer to know he was wrong, facing her. “I know in my mind, well, not that I’m a very accurate mindreader like the awesome Moonwatcher, but it’s like someone that you can’t see, or know, poking you constantly, and reminding you that he’s the one, and I thought that you needed the foresight to be able to see, but no, not really. Starflight was part of my destiny, and I’m sure as long as the three moons stay up there, he will continue to be because, unlike having to be with other friends. Starflight is like an echo that I hear and always listen to, when other voices are like whispers to me, and come and comfort him whenever his voice weakens.” Fatespeaker closed her scroll slowly and gently, her smile growing, “Sooo, maybe it’s true to say that Starflight is everything to me,” she ended with a chuckle.

Deathbringer only glared at his scroll in silence, to think that that is one interpretation of feelings toward another dragon. It sounded so complicated, yet all of what she said made sense. “Wow, I never thought of it that way.”

“I’m curious as to why you asked, Deathbringer?” She turned to him once she had another scroll to read in her talons. “It’s not all of a sudden that someone would just come in during off-time hours, to suddenly ask someone’s feelings towards a dragon that he or she _probably(definitely)_ loved.”

Deathbringer rolled the scroll back into place. “Is it ridiculous? I mean, all this work for a flower is just getting in over my head.” He laughed breathlessly. “Not that it’s a problem, of course.”

“I think it's wonderful!” Fatespeaker replied with her cheery tone. She wrapped the string around the rerolled scroll, sealed it with a twist before returning it to the self, and then reached out for another scroll to read. “This quest you’re all undertaking sounds really fun to do.”

Deathbringer realized how slow he was to advance to other scrolls that he rolled his away to look at another, resetting his intention by mentally scolding his head from, again, overthinking something unnecessary.

But it was how she defined this so-called adventure for a flower that intrigued him. _Fun,_ he echoed, taking the word into thought. A perspective he didn’t think of seeing through his eyes.

_Why didn’t I see it that way?_

“Well, after a bunch of flying, storming through storms and lightning, and getting in trouble sometimes from Tsunami, who really is the closest to Glory, there’s a truth to it, I guess, for it to be _fun_ ,” Deathbringer concluded, forming a meager grin.

She stood up when she finished most of the first three columns of the scrolls. and decided to glance into the scrolls about Pyrrhia’s “Geography” that could have a detailed section of the rainforest fauna. “Anything you do with friends is fun. I mean, I’m not scared to assume you had fun with Starflight’s friends, right?”

Speaking of Starflight, a sudden tumble reverberated throughout the corridor outside, and Fatespeaker quickly trudged her way, with Deathbringer following right behind. “Starflight?”

The blind NightWing groaned. His blindfold moved up from his closed reddish eyelids while Starflight rubbed it. “Where am I?” he mumbled while lying on his back, waving his talons to sense anything that can help him get up. 

Fatespeaker grasped them and pulled him to his feet, chuckling. “I think you rolled over a little too much.”

“And HELLLLLOOOO Starflight.” Deathbringer howled, standing near the arch doorway of the winglet cave.

“Deathbringer?” he turned, flicking his ear. “What are you doing here?”

“Yeah, turned out asking an animus to try and restore a flower didn’t help because it’s dead,” Deathbringer explained, walking out with them back to the library, “So I was hoping that I’d find more information in your library, but so far, none.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to just ask the RainWings?” he suggested without the knowledge of what transpired in the village to have that option unavailable for him in the first place.

“Well, it wouldn’t be,” Deathbringer said, turning his head to glance at them while they entered the library first. “Because I was the one who pulled the flower from the stem by accident.” _A very careless accident. You should be picking out the bugs off everyone’s wings!_ Glory in his head added on.

“What was the flower?” Starflight asked, setting himself down near one of the wooden tables where he had his papers and ink to write in their scrolls, nearly woven vine material used for tying up scrolls. But it seems more evident that Fatespeaker might’ve been taking care of those for him.

“It had very nice, rounded petals,” Deathbringer reminisced, taking one intricate detail at a time. What hurts remembering was the odd bits of jointed, smaller stems and looked as if it was freshly cut. “I think there were leaves that grew out from the stem itself.”

“That could be any flower,” Starflight commented, his talon under his chin with that “thinking” look on his face. “Mostly those rounded ones are everywhere in the rainforest.”

Deathbringer nodded, exhaling a sigh. “Yeah, it’s just only the color that’s unique. It’s Kinkajou’s present to Glory, and it had Glory’s green and orange mix.”

“Oh, I see...” Starflight nodded his head, and it went quiet from there while they continued searching for any signs of a clue to the whereabouts of finding them in bulk. Deathbringer hoped, as reparation to his carelessness, to give her a crown full of it. _She’s a queen, might as well look the part,_ he thought.

Eventually, noon turned to dusk. Deathbringer wandered in the forest as usual for his peace of mind. Being out there in nature and hunting for a meal is his way of finding peace. A chicken eventually poked out into the open. He dreadfully hoped it wasn’t one of Clay’s.

Speaking of Clay, he and the other’s wingbeats echoed through the wind as they headed towards the entrance after a while being in the Rainforest Kingdom for most of the day. He gathered some of the scrolls he brought along from the library and flew to return them to Starflight, then wandered down from the spiral staircase into the central hub where many dragons were. He counted five, and his heart immediately dropped at the sight of the fifth.

_Kinkajou..._

It was already too late because of his bigness and habit of creating a grand entrance for himself. He was already seen by Kinkajou. Instead of expecting a scream, yell, a stomp from her talons, or growth of redness that would appear in the usual yellow-pinkish hues of her scales, though, she was smiling.

Next, Starflight and Fatespeaker joined them in the quick meetup, exchanging hellos and embraces in the main hall.

It wasn’t until Kinkajou’s eyes met his that she approached him. “Deathbringer?”

“Look,” he sighed. The guilt was palpable in his voice, “I messed up, I know. I didn’t mean to cut it by accident. You know how I can be...”

Kinkajou tilted her head. “I know you didn’t mean it,” she started, “but look at all of us, we’re all working together, trying to give Glory the best hatching day she ever had!” She spread her wings towards their little group of colorful dragons, giggling. “I’d never thought that we’d try to work all this out. We can give her all the wonderful presents she deserves!”

Deathbringer smiled, while slowly, then the physical weight of guilt dissipated, so much so that his wings rose back from the floor.

If her positivity and the many dragons in the hall willing to help him with such a simplistic cause weren’t a sign of their insurmountable care, then he didn’t know what was. He stepped down from the higher steps to join them after Kinkajou traversed back next to Turtle, gathering their thoughts into their next steps.

“I do know one thing,” Kinkajou said, the eyes of other dragons turning to look at her. “The Rainforest isn’t the only place where their flowers are abundant.”

“Where would this place be?” Sunny asked her.

“Possibility.”

“Oh’s” and “Ah’s” from their little meeting spread throughout the chamber. Deathbringer had only been to Possibility maybe a few times during his travels, mostly to keep watch since no one really bothered him there. Although he didn’t give much to really have a right image of the small, messy village. Despite it being a peaceful land where all dragons were welcomed regardless of background, those that suffered during the War of SandWing Succession, or those banished from their kingdoms, it was for those reasons that the town wasn’t any less safe, in Deathbringer’s opinion. There’s always the lingering feeling of being watched in a suspiciously peaceful land. He knew because he was often the stalker, watching over the dragons he was assigned to observe or kill whenever they were there.

Starflight asked the group, “You all think you could find a flower as rare as that that only grew in the Rainforest Kingdom?”

“It’s worth a try,” Sunny told him, “we don’t have a lot of options left.”

They nodded, agreeing with the idea, before exchanging words again while Deathbringer brought himself out into the halls to breathe the crisp, cold air. When they gathered out, it was time to fly. They waved goodbye to both Starflight and Fatespeaker before lifting off into the sunset.


	7. Possibility

The days felt more extended than the nights. Deathbringer wasn’t used to flying in the powerful sunlight for days on end. His scales felt like they were on fire whenever the bright star above them shone its brilliant colors. He would casually bring his complaint during the quieter moments of their flight to his small rag-tag team of _flower saviors_ , which always just ended up with Kinkajou praising the sun.

 _Of course, it’s suitable for Kinkajou, but what about me!?_ He’d whine in his head, of course, not saying it out loud for fearing Tsunami's rage. He knows he doesn't intend to hurt. Besides, he's the one getting burned to death.

This is why the moment he heard Tsunami suggested for someone to watch over them during the night, he volunteered. A job he's much more confident in, considering it was his area of expertise. Deathbringer settled next to where the sandy horizon faced him, and a familiar sense of quietness filled the atmosphere. He’d been quite used to something that he didn’t remember the last time it was this quiet since living in the Rainforest Kingdom.

Jade Mountain was right behind them, looming through the fog with its shadows cast upon their little camp, situated near the last inches where the forest met the bright yellow sand that will consume him for eternity. He sighed. The way his brain determined everything as if it was his last made him chuckle. _Never change my doubtful self._

Deathbringer locked his eyes through the scatter of the trees he was hiding under, a group of SkyWings, then on their approach, a few SandWings. It was odd to him that they crossed each other peacefully when he was accustomed to hearing a few roars, clashes of swords, spears, and a bright red flash of their flames coming out of their snouts. But to think there comes a time when there's no purpose for dragons to fight anymore. When there's no purpose to doubt, to suspect. It’s like a whole new Pyrrhia right in front of his eyes, as if he was just discovering it all.

It wasn’t long afterward when he heard a few quiet talonsteps shifting the grass behind him. He turned to see the young and bright SandWing that looked as if she was hiding something behind her expressionless face. Despite him seeing through her facade, he can’t help but grow a slight grin. "Can't sleep?"

She shook her head. "No, but it's nothing serious." She picked up a twig for her talons to fiddle with as she sat close to him. "I've had lots of sleep, but I haven’t gotten used to having this much freedom to rest since the war and Darkstalker."

"I know that feeling." Deathbringer turned to the stars and chuckled. "I'm never prepared to adapt to a moment where I have no more reason to draw out one of my knives, blur my wings to hide, or just throw my weapons at a passing animal for a quick meal or target practice."

Deathbringer can see through Sunny’s eyes that perhaps saying anything that he does on occasion during his assassin days shouldn’t be talked about with her. He noticed her tail instead, swishing behind her, quickly seeing that something was off about it. He asked, not only for his curiosity but to also derail her from his former reality, “You’re a SandWing, right? Why don’t you have a barbed tail like every other SandWing I-- _met?_ ”

She turned around to look at her tail as if she just realized her deformity. “Oh, right, well, that never crossed your mind when I mentioned my father who’s a NightWing animus?” she said in a tone sounding like he should’ve known, for someone calling himself “clever.”

Deathbringer raised his head, raising an eyebrow. “What?” he asked, prompting Sunny to giggle.

_So she’s a--_

“I’m a hybrid,” she declared, putting one of her talons to herself with glee. ”My mother, she’s a SandWing.”

"Why didn’t I notice that?" Deathbringer asked with slight awe, but it was mostly meant for himself. He scratched his head, studying Sunny further. Her more narrowed snout seemed to be the other clue of her being a Night-Sand hybrid, but otherwise, her scales bearing the usual SandWing _gold?_ was the resting piece for his mind to categorize her wholly as a SandWing. "How did you feel about it?"

Sunny hummed her thoughts, looking up to the stars, "I didn't know how to feel at first. But it helped me understand why I was always called 'weird' by those who aren’t my sibs."

Being called "weird," yet adorable, understanding, and being part of the group that ended the twenty-year war is at least way better than being handsome but an assassin and was ordered around as if he had nothing else to do in life.

"Well, Sunny," Deathbringer started, creasing the edges of his lips to smile at her, "it's very nice, really nice, to see you adapt to the truth."

"I feel luckier," the hybrid replied that made his smile fall from the sadness of her voice, "compared to my sibs. I don't appreciate that it's the truth."

 _I understand that pain._ Deathbringer sympathized in his head but never knew that his truth and hers were so related. They may not be in the same approach, but regardless, the impact was identical.

She was quick to cheer up, though, surprising Deathbringer from his steady thoughts of his past. “That’s all behind us, right? All we can do is make sure no other dragon will face the suffering that others like us faced.”

Deathbringer knew how hard it was to move on when the majority of his life had always stayed hidden behind the shadows. Had Glory seen this in him and normalized him this way? He wanted to be more than just a bodyguard for the Queen. Maybe she sees him that way, but he doesn’t see it. Was Glory only cheering him up because his old ways of life were nothing but a creator of deceptions, assassinations, and creating false controversies?

 _DEATHBRINGER!!!_ Glory inside him shouted maddeningly, _Are you going to keep that up? Sunny is talking to you!_

“Oh, right...” he mumbled in response to his thoughts, confusing Sunny. “Uh-- I mean, yes! We have the peace, and it's our job to keep it that way.”

Whatever Deathbringer mouthed sounded odd to him. The talk of hope, like expecting to meet a doom for peace when all they were doing, had nothing to do with it. Sunny didn't seem to be so concerned by the look of her cheerful face towards him, nodding happily to his remark. "Right." She eagerly walked away, saying, "I’m going to try to get some more sleep. You should too! We have the entire desert to fly."

Deathbringer eventually did, and it brought him to a dream.

_Deathbringer moved through the dark, watching._

_Then the world collapsed into himself, shrinking, the sky turning black. Dark wings of stars appeared and flapped. The sounds of cries near a seashore that appeared in front of his eyes._

_Now he was standing there. Looking down, a body._

_Tempest twitched. The last light of her soul lingered until her eyes stopped blinking and her chest stopped expanding on the sandy floors._

_Then, quiet._

_Nothing._

_Crickets chirped through the silent rainforest._

_Then it was dark again. Deathbringer's chest felt heavy as he readied himself to know his next mission. Morrowseer was proud of his accomplishments, hopefully wishing he could see that behind that unchangeable grumpy face of his while he handed him the scroll._

_"Shouldn’t be too hard to identify..."_

_“I’m giving you three months for this one...Your mother will have to teach you a lot of new skills for this mission.”_

_“I’m sure she will,” Deathbringer told him._

Then he woke up.

Deathbringer’s eyes were greeted by the blinding light of the sun and Kinkajou's bright studded face. "Wake up, sleepyhead!"

Everyone else neared the charcoal remains of the fire they made last night, gathering to feast upon the small carcass of what looked like a young cow. Clay's talons were all over it, while Turtle, appearing behind the forest's bushes, had a talonful of berries he took out from his pouch and gave it to Kinkajou. He seemed so insecure about what he caught, though, but Kinkajou already dove on the berries without complaints.

“Deathbringer!” Clay called, distracting him from his observation, offering what’s left of the carcass, which was mostly bones, “Here.”

Deathbringer lifted his talons, signaling the MudWing to finish it when he was sure it wouldn't be enough to satisfy his hunger. “Oh, it’s fine. I’ve survived without food for days,” he replied with a light chortle.

“Oh.” Clay’s desire to finish it himself was evident in his brown eyes. “You sure?...”

Deathbringer nodded to him while he approached the campfire.

“So, no one is going to ask the big question?” Tsunami bellowed after finishing her catch of fish. “Where in Possibility are we going to start? Just because it’s not a kingdom doesn’t make it any less hard.”

“I don’t remember much of Possibility since the last time I was there,” Kinkajou started, her eyes darting from dragon to dragon, “but when me, Moon, Qibli, Winter, and another dragon I forgot brought me there when I was injured.” She placed her talons under her snout to think. “I remember we were at this _hut?_ _home? healing quarters?_ I can’t remember what Mayfly called it, but there was a garden nearby! Trees, fruits, and flowers, you name it!”

“So basically, they took part of the rainforest and brought it there?” Tsunami asked facetiously.

The conversation continued from there. Deathbringer heard the excitement from Sunny since she had never been to the village where peace resided, even during the war. Deathbringer shared that same reaction, just for a different reason. Although nothing was worth relieving than finding out, they didn’t need to cross the desert of death. (He’s been to Possibility by crossing the desert at night.)

A few ways away from where the mountain range sat on their right after the vast emptiness of dirt hills was the sight of a large river flowing through the sandy terrain. Deathbringer didn’t recognize it at first, nor did he take in the surroundings of this part of Pyrrhia since it was the crossroads between three kingdoms of SkyWings, SandWings, and RainWings. The group agreed to land upon the river for a quick rest from their hour-long flight.

Slowly, that quietness and gush of the river brought Deathbringer’s mind to Glory, wondering how she was doing. At this point, he couldn’t fathom what Glory was thinking or feeling. He questioned if Tsunami talked about him to her if Glory asked, or did she share that with Glory without questioning his whereabouts? Is she happy since he showed his serious care about a flower he ruined? Or is she facepalming by the utter ridiculousness of this so-called quest?

It wasn’t long after their small pit stop that the river gradually widened, and dragons of different tribes filled the skies. There lay the blotched lands of Possibility. 

They flew towards the town and landed towards the town's desert-dominated side with the view of the sizeable SandWing stronghold just on the reach, waving visually to his eyes from the sun’s heat.

They walked through the tattered homes, few of them being poorly made to the point of barely recognizing if it was a home at all. One in particular that they were passing by, a lone SandWing resided in that had a large, blue blanket for a roof. The SandWing noticed the steely glare from Deathbringer and growled at him, all the while the dragon picked berries in his little bush near his home.

Tsunami budged in, her narrowed eyes turning to Deathbringer. “You mind?”

“What?” Deathbringer whispered back. Even just a glare is threatening?

“I thought it would be more... uplifting,” Sunny commented gloomily, seeing the conditions of the homes that made even the Sky Kingdom look nicer.

“I hope there’s something to get as a snack,” Clay mumbled. “You want to look around with me?”

She nodded upon his request. Deathbringer could see Clay’s cheer deflate at the melancholic tone she gave out while gazing at the houses of what she considered the most promising of all places in Pyrrhia. It wasn’t easy to share the same pacifistic view as she does, but seeing all these dragons, this is the one moment where he shared the same sadness.

The town's sandy side felt quieter than the more grassy side closer to the river once they approached it. Deathbringer had the pinching sense of just being out in the open under the eyes of many dragons at this end of town, but NightWings were not easily seen these days as he remembered. He may be the only NightWing seen here since. A light blue SeaWing with a right leg missing passed them grumpily as the low flat dirt path led them towards the town’s more bustling side, which meant they were getting closer.

This end, nearest to the river, had palm trees lined along the beachside, while dragons with tables that stood just outside their homes offered many kinds of trash, food, or pieces of jewelry.

“Ahh, I remember, this way!” Kinkajou led the group since she was here before. Deathbringer couldn’t remember the last time he stumbled in this town or if the wanted board was still here.

They passed through a few more wooden homes through a corner, with statues of stone dragons decorated around a small pond in the center of an intersection. Above the smaller homes was a sizeable towering figure of trees standing high

After catching his footing with an elevated ground when they moved behind the homes, Deathbringer and the others were introduced to a large land of trees, bushes, and flowers. Just like Tsunami said, it did look like part of the Rainforest was taken and brought here. Next to that plot of land was another home, although this one was large and bulky. It was made of white concrete bricks, not like the others lazily made, with a pole attached next to the door and the word “DOCTOR” written on the flag.

If it wasn’t any more obvious, this was the place they were looking for.

But it wasn’t as dead or silent as the sandy side of Possibility. Outside the door was a line of dragons with injuries, stretching as far as the next few homes. Were they going to be there for a long time?

“So... do we go in line?” Sunny decided to ask for him. Weirdly, it’s one of the injured dragons, his snout deformed from some kind of bite with two bleeding spots in his bandage, who told them, “I’ve been here all morning, take your place and be in line just like everyone else.”

“We’re not here for the doctor anyway,” Tsunami huffed to sound as agitated as that SandWing was.

_So much for peace..._

They huddled over towards the gardens. The trees seemed similar from a distance, but one would realize that they were strikingly different upon closer look. Vines wrapped around the green with many other flowers stretched throughout one side of the house like the gardens were grasping it. “Woah,” Kinkajou gasped, “I remember it was much smaller, and now, it’s huge!”

Sunny stopped for a moment when Tsunami swung one of the vines over with her wing as they approached the vine-covered terrain. “Wait.”

She was met with their eyes. “We can just enter _someone’s_ garden without their permission?”

“I don’t think we have any worries,” Kinkajou lazily replied, swaying her talon, “Winter and Qibli waited here when I was being treated. Mayfly wouldn’t mind.”

They didn’t make an effort to waste time. Deathbringer was happy that was their intention. When was Glory’s hatching day? He treated every minute as if claws were tightly grasping his throat. One moment, Glory might just hustle her way through this garden and pin him down for missing out on her special day.

Something sparkled in his eyes while he trudged through the thick shrubs. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed something shimmering. Deathbringer moved toward what looked like a tower as tall as some of the trees made of very smooth crystals, or pure glass, fully stacked with more unique flowers laid in pots with their respective seeds on the side. He hastened his search, looking through every one of them, trying to spot any that were close enough to match Glory’s colors. Unfortunately, none of them were.

“This place is so wonderful!” He could hear Sunny’s cheery voice through the thick bushes while a branch snapped in her direction. “Clay! Be careful!” Tsunami told him while he took a bite of the apple he picked.

Turtle joined him in the garden center. “Where’s Kinkajou?” he asked just before she materialized out of thin air, making the green SeaWing jump to his haunches. “Three moons!”

“I’m here!” Kinkajou giggled seeing Turtle's jumpy reaction, her prehensile tail coiling one of the branches of the tree while Dearhbringer glared back at her, sighing. "I don't think I can see one."

"Me neither," Deathbringer turned back, hissing his forked tongue towards the glass tower, observing one of the purple flowers with tongue-like design in its petals. "This garden is huge. We should keep looking elsewhere."

That was a little too late, though, when a MudWing appeared behind Turtle while he picked himself up. "What is this?"

The MudWing held a pot, similar to the ones in the glass tower, in her talon. Brown in color like Clay, but slightly darker. She gazed at each one of them, as sure as her flat, shocked face showed that she wasn't expecting visitors.

"What are you all doing here?" she asked, her steely glare and a demanding tone had Deathbringer petrified.

"Oh, hi!" Kinkajou dropped herself from the branch and brandished her standard colors proudly. The MudWing quickly turned her face to smile. "Ahh, it's you!"

"Mayfly!" the RainWing cheered, approaching the MudWing for a hug, while everyone else gathered near the glass tower.

"I'm glad to see you back on your feet again, Kinkajou," she said, placing down the pot before studying everyone else. "Normally, I'd let dragons in the garden as a place to wait, but when more and more dragons kept stealing my fruits, I had to close it until harvest."

Clay took the last bite of the apple, the picture of guilt carved in his face. He probably felt the responsibility of taking one without questioning her.

Mayfly sighed, “You’re fine.”

“So, a MudWing, RainWing, two SeaWings, and a NightWing,” she listed, glancing at them in the order she spoke, “and here I thought seeing a SandWing with snake venom injury today was weird enough.”

“Oh, well, we’re here to find a flower,” Sunny started, taking a few steps forward, “a rare one, with a green stalk and blue petals with an orange center.”

Mayfly trudged forward to place the pot she carried of more purple flowers back to an empty shelf in the tower. “That’s pretty... specific,” she muttered, “and I don’t think I’ve had one like that... ever.”

But quickly, her sadness switched to a startled gaze. “Oh, yes! I did! I can’t keep track because of so many dragons out there hurting themselves by the dozen these days.”

It made Deathbringer lift his head along with everyone else. “Really?” Sunny exclaimed as her eyes sparkled with excitement.

“It’s been a while, though,” Mayfly continued, “I remember a SkyWing coming by. I think his name is Parficial, and he gave me many gems just for the flower that grew differently with the rest.”

“That’s unfortunate,” Tsunami sighed. “Now we have to find a SkyWing?”

Turtle mumbled something like, “Oh, so that explains it.” quickly covering his snout with his talons when he did and said to Kinkajou that “I’ll explain more later.”

However, Mayfly interrupted after Tsunami vented about how they came all this way for nothing, “I don’t know if he’s coming back. According to a messenger, yesterday, he was going to return because he forgot one of his earrings when he came by for an injured ear.”

This was the most astonishing revelation to Deathbringer. It may not be of the best circumstances, but there was another similar flower of Glory’s _beautiful colors_. But as quick as they could celebrate, knowing no time was wasted, Mayfly kindly asked them to leave the garden due to the sheer amount of them. So they gathered back just outside, next to the stone statue.

“The Sky Kingdom,” Deathbringer said as if it was a joke. “Let’s hope we can find the flower while we spend time in the dungeons for trespassing.”

Clay turned his eyes to him. “The Sky Kingdom changed, Deathbringer. Queen Ruby is probably the closest you can get with meeting the nicest SkyWing Queen.”

“Of course, we only had Scarlet as our other,” Tsunami reminded him, “So that’s not saying much, Clay. _AND_ we don’t even know if that flower is still there,” she added vehemently. “We’re still latching on _might’s_ and _maybe’s_.”

“It’s still worth a try,” Deathbringer said while a plan cooked in his mind, “but we’ll need to split up.”

“Split up?” Sunny quickly argued back at him. “Why would we need to split up?”

“You three,” Deathbringer started, his eye darting towards Sunny, Clay, then Tsunami, “probably have the best chances to try and look around or ask Queen Ruby directly.”

 _We can meet them there once the SkyWing that bought the flower can help._ Deathbringer finished the plan in his head.

Then Clay asked the damning question, “How would we know whoever this SkyWing is would give up the flower for our needs?”

Of course, he would’ve bought it for nothing. Deathbringer wondered, scratching his head, how that got past him.

“Clay does have a point.” Turtle added, raising his talons, “it’s not like we have our gems to make up for how much he paid it for.”

Deathbringer could only think of one more solution, but he’s sure to know they wouldn’t let him, so he kept that underneath his head. “We can try convincing him. Turtle, Kinkajou, and I can stay here, and maybe that _Parficial_ will return, and we’ll beg on our talons for us to have it. While you three head there and do the same thing if _Parficial_ is there.”

“I am not _begging_ on my talons,” Tsunami huffed confidently.

“Well, it’s not like you have any other choice,” Deathbringer replied with a smirk, “unless you want to ruin your SkyWing reputation if you do the typical torture method you always do.”

“We’ll come to you by tomorrow afternoon at the Sky Kingdom if you don’t return,” Deathbringer said, finalizing the plan.

With careful convincing and reasoning that went from there, they eventually split up, Kinkajou waving goodbye to the three while he was sure Tsunami muttered something as they flew away. Whatever it was, he thought it's her venting about his plan… or him in general.

The three instead stayed until the night darkened the now quieted down. Deathbringer returned after bringing a small bite to eat, waking Turtle and Kinkajou from their nap.

“Huh? Is the SkyWing here?” Turtle mumbled while yawning.

“No...” Deathbringer shook his head, already approaching the river where they decided to wait, just below where the now vacant Mayfly’s healing home was.

“Then why wake up at this hour?” Kinkajou asked, stretching her wings.

Deathbringer’s other plan can come into action as he led himself close to the water, looking at his reflection. He can sense in his mind that this goes against everything with wanting to make a good change. Although, he wasn’t going to hurt anyone. He wasn’t going to assassinate another dragon under someone’s orders. He may not have the smartest mind when planning, but he could feel that this was the only way to complete this mission.

The moons’ light illuminated the calm river as he turned around to Turtle and Kinkajou.

“Let’s go to the Sky Kingdom. We’re taking that flower.”


	8. Upon the Palace in the Sky

Deathbringer can feel his heart thump along the beat of his enormous wings of stars. The thought of what misconceptions that Glory would say from the decision of taking something that isn’t his gnawed at him. Although what other choice did he have? He knew that asking for something nice from any SkyWing came with a one-way ticket directly to a fiery end upon where they stood. If what Clay said about their ragtag group of misfits’ high standing with the SkyWings was true, this could be their opportunity. _His opportunity._

The fact that he was with two other dragons almost passed him. He’s not alone, which meant this wasn’t going to be like any routine stealth flight he was used to piloting.

“Wait! Deathbringer!” Kinkajou yelled behind him, but he didn’t nudge to her direction as he continued forward, above the darkened trees as the night took over and almost consumed him.

“What do you mean ‘take’? Do you mean to steal?”

Following her trail was Turtle. Deathbringer wasn’t sure if he was intentionally slowing them down or was tired from the short flight from Possibility. Although when the land suddenly stretched up beyond the dark fog ahead, he knew it’ll be much tougher to assure each other of their presence. The NightWing stopped to hover and wait for them to catch up. Kinkajou at least looked like she was determined. “Phew! You’re fast!”

“Of course. You can do it too if you make a habit flying away,” Deathbringer replied to her passive quip.

Turtle eventually caught up with them, but the odd behavior of waving a stick lifted his brow. “What are you doing? Time is ticking, and the moons are moving.”

“Wait,” Kinkajou intruded, Deathbringer quickly facing her, “You still didn’t answer my question.”

He sighed. This conversation was exacerbating the pounding ache inside his skull from where he envisioned Glory yelling at him. “Yes.”

The RainWing gasped. “Why would you do such a thing?”

Deathbringer raised his talons, clearly seeing Kinkajou’s bright colors turn dark. “Kinkajou, I doubt that a SkyWing will just hand us anything, even a flower, regardless if we were to kindly take it, steal it, borrow it, or whatever else you can think of.”

“It’s not right!” Kinkajou was like a reflection of Glory, lacking the usual punishments like the last time she forced him to clean up bird droppings when he accidentally squashed a perfect melon during his “off-duty.” Deathbringer scoffed to himself. _As if that changes anything, she’d still look angry._

“It doesn’t matter if this is for Glory’s hatching day present. I won’t allow it.”

She really was stubborn, but he couldn’t blame her. He would be against this too. If it wasn’t the only choice left.

“I’m sorry, Kinkajou,” Deathbringer’s tone was sullen, understanding her point. “There’s always more out there, don’t worry.”

His meagre attempt to balance the fairness did little to cheer her up. She glanced to Turtle, who floated still while they argued. Deathbringer hoped that she wasn’t trying to have him back her up.

“Why aren’t you saying anything?”

“Yeah,” Kinkajou added, contorting the same confused face, “why are you waving a—Oooh, trying to magic something again?”

Turtle turned his eye to them, “Sort of, but with the enchantment I made, I doubt that flower is there or is even alive.”

Deathbringer stood there, but he didn’t want to depend too much upon animus magic. It can’t be THAT powerful, despite many historical scrolls he read stated, or Darkstalker’s mere existence.

“I’ll look for it,” Deathbringer said simply. “It’s not that hard, especially in the dead of night. I’m practically invisible.”

Kinkajou disappeared after he spoke, a clear reminder that he wasn’t the best equipped for this mission. But there was more to be aware of than just not being able to see. “You can’t see me at all.”

Deathbringer chuckled, “Of course, but I can hear you.”

“I still don’t want to go on with this,” she reappeared, levitating next to Turtle while he placed the stick in his pouch.

“You don’t have to,” Deathbringer reminded her “It’s not like I won’t receive her punishment with anything that involves me that goes wrong. I’ll handle this myself. You two just keep watch for the other three and make sure they’re distracting the Queen long enough.” He was unsure of what distracting the Queen would benefit, but under normal conditions, she’d most likely call to her other dragons when visitors arrived in this case from his past experiences.

Deathbringer looked up when they drew nigh unto the palace walls. The air was thinner, colder, and much more, while the clouds loomed upon him and the rest. The odd shadows that rose before them are one of the towers of the Sky Palace. There weren’t clouds that had such perfect triangular shape to form.

They landed upon one of the mountains that sat next to the palace walls. Turtle, specifically, shook his green scales from the temperature. Kinkajou took notice and wrapped her wing around him for warmth. Deathbringer turned around, smiling, towards the palace and planned his next approach.

He saw two SkyWing guards, their red and orange color distinct and visible against the fog, which meant the only safe approach was below, towards the large, oval arena. The clanking of chains echoed throughout the entire stadium while one of the SkyWings turned towards the movement, shouting at something, “You mind? Stop moving!”

_Prisoners._

He trudged toward the cliffside, further seeing a few more SkyWings below the arena's audience seating, sauntering about with their spears.

Deathbringer returned to where Kinkajou and Turtle were huddled. He looked to them with poignant eyes. “It won’t take long, but I don’t think the others have arrived yet. I’m guessing they’re resting for the night.”

_Since the palace is all too quiet,_ he thought.

“Are you sure it’s worth the risk?” Turtle asked, holding to the stick again. “I know animus magic is something hard to understand. But believe me, the enchantments don’t lie.”

Deathbringer gazed at his talon as if the weight would pull him down the moment he lifted off to do his reconnaissance. The sooner he could finish, the better for him and everyone else.

“I do,” the NightWing started, turning around, “but it’ll be better if I don’t waste all my years of sneaking around, not being seen, and use it for something that will benefit me for once.”

A few moments of silence, then Deathbringer smiled at them, taking off, letting the darkness take over and hide him from sight.

Feet upon feet of high towering pillars were in Deathbringer’s way of his flight. He swerved accordingly, making sure none of the trees shook upon his descent towards the arena below while keeping himself as steady as the stars above. He knew a single flap of his wings was enough to be heard from far away.

Luckily, he didn’t need to.

He dug his talons into the soil upon landing on a soft bed of grass. He looked towards an elevated cliff, the light of the three moons shining upon the stone walls of the towers and pillars. A small stream nearby gushed gently, flowing through the forest floor.

Then, wingbeats, not a moment too soon.

_Patrols._

Deathbringer huddled close next to a cover of foliage and bushes. By the clustered amount of beats, he counted five just arriving, perhaps from their recent patrols. Soft mumbles of their voices fluctuated the calming wind and echoed throughout. They really don’t know how to quiet down, being SkyWings, of course.

“I swear to the moons, patrols have gotten boring.”

“You’re lucky enough to be alive for multiple patrols when it was normal to assume you’d die on your first.”

The voices quietened into the wind. To Deathbringer, that meant they were entering a cave. Once that dissipated, he moved out, silently moving towards a slight incline of smooth rocks near the stream. He kept his form as low to the ground as possible while using the sounds of the stream to cover every talonstep he took, until he eventually came upon the arena’s lower steps and audience seats.

The arena, though, was not an option to just cross. The moons were only too bright to guarantee a safe passage towards one of the palace entrances. Just above the arena was another steep incline that seemed to reach towards one of the watchtowers. The windows on the side were too small, though, being another impossible option to infiltrate.

_“Remember, it only takes a single wingbeat.”_

He retreated towards the back end of the tower, the steep slope making it nearly impossible to keep his steps quiet. That elevation, though, was the only approach left to reach the building.

The only thing for Deathbringer to gamble was hoping no one was at the guard tower above him.

So he trudged through the black rocks. He spied on every rock that looked like it was sturdy enough for a dragon as enormous as he was to not collapse. The walls of the tower gave him sufficient darkness if ever—

_CRACK._

Deathbringer felt the rock, rolling down the steep incline, cracking other stones in the way. His heart stopped, snapping his head up.

_Thud._

_Thud._

_Thud._

_Talonsteps._

He quickly covered himself, laying flat upon the side of the wall. A SkyWing was coming.

The NightWing held his breath, hearing those talonsteps louden with each step. Until it stopped, and a heaving breath just above, muffled to his ear.

_“One single movement, and you’re dead.”_

That voice. Deathbringer recognized it instantly in his head.

_Quickstrike._

_“Infiltration requires a steady mind. Shake it, and it’ll be the end of you.”_

_“I’m sure it’s easy.”_

Deathbringer opened his eyes, hearing the SkyWing’s breath weaken and their talonsteps shrink into nothingness.

He slowly loosened his breath. Everything was alright.

He placed a talon to the edge. Tightening his wings as he climbed up, peeking inside the gray stoned corridor with a single torch lighting up the far end of the hallway. Deathbringer knew this infiltration had only begun.

One tower was done. Deathbringer stood close to the walls. There was no camouflaging on this end once he moved to the back into another opening.

Then on, more and more wingbeats were apparent. Deathbringer poked his head out of the entryway when he reached. The darkness claimed the next area just beyond the main palace that was further down.

By his observation of SkyWing movements, the solution was obvious. When the moment struck, he dove down from the cliffside of the first tower into the darkness below. Avoiding the glimmering light of the moons without trying to turn to show his lighter underbelly.

The inner side of the palace was much easier to enter rather than outside. Deathbringer didn’t take his chance, jumping right inside one of the main palace rooms' windows and quickly collapsed from the intensity. He didn’t remember the last time he had to face something that extreme.

But what he didn’t expect was the room he was in. Were neat to such an extent despite how SkyWings were depicted to be messy. A drawer, rose bed, and a leather curtain neatly folded from the window he entered, with a rugged carpet, red in color.

He started quietly searching. He already knew from the back of his mind that this wouldn’t be a room for a flower collector, so his search wasn’t too long. Deathbringer snuffed out the only torch lighting the room next to the doorway before climbing out the window and towards the next one down the line.

That quickly changed when he noticed a SkyWing dragonet sleeping inside this particular room, so he jumped a few more, making sure he was light on his talons.

The next one looked vacant. The bed looked abandoned, the drawer inside was broken, and a few glass pieces were on the floor. Deathbringer hopped inside to rest his talons from climbing the walls of the palace.

_Whoever lived in this chamber probably had terrible nightmares._ Deathbringer thought, looking at the damages. He lifted the bedsheet and was introduced to a couple of mice. Wiping the dust that caked his talons, he continued, jumping from room to room.

Deathbringer entered the next room. The moment he peered his eye from the window, he saw many apparent signs of a flower collector. If hundreds of tall grass and a literal grass bed weren’t obvious enough. There was a large scroll with a large red flower in the facing above it.

_Three Moons… finally!_

Many candles lit the room in floating shelves near the ceiling—a smart way to prevent any of these volatile organics from bursting in flames.

After snuffing them out, he opened the scrolls, filled with many detailed drawings of every flower that he couldn’t even imagine possible. Some were rare, some were unique, some were flowers of the same shape and design, yet the colors were different.

_Come on, where did you put it?_

He rolled the scroll. The flower had to be somewhere when he realized that it wasn’t in the book. He opened each drawer, seeing the utensils ranging from brushes to watercolors, a few parchment papers, and empty scrolls.

But before he had a chance to open the next set of drawers or shelves, the door behind him creaked open.

He turned, face to face with a SkyWing.

The SkyWing was bright red, close to a light maroon in color. He wore glasses, one of them slightly bent that wrapped around his curved horns. One of his ears was missing a ring, instead, covered with white bandages. When Deathbringer glanced down, he was holding the very flower he was looking for, flat in a wooden board in his talons. Almost identical to the one he had.

He pulled the SkyWing towards him in quick successions, closed the door, and pounded the SkyWing against it, muffling his snout with his talons.

“Calm down, calm down, pretty please.” Deathbringer anxiously told him while the SkyWing struggled. “I’m not here to hurt you, really, that normality has gone long past. So do you mind not screaming so that I can leave this wonderful place in one piece and not in pieces?”

The SkyWing nodded, calming down as he requested, and Deathbringer slowly released his hold, backing slightly.

“Thank you. I don’t think I deserve prison just to get a flower.”

The SkyWing fell to his fours, holding the flower in his talon up. “Sure, but I didn’t expect a NightWing to suddenly barge in my room without an explanation,” he said.

“I know, I know.” Deathbringer replied, taking a breath, “I’ve been on the hunt for one of the rarest flowers in existence, and I’m SO glad you had it, _Parficial?_ Right?”

The SkyWing glanced in slight shock towards him when he placed the flower down. “How do you know my name?”

“Well,” Deathbringer quickly replied, “I was at Possibility, where you got it from Mayfly.”

“Oh,” Parficial nodded, “Well, I paid pretty hefty for this flower. It’s rare, you’re right, and I would like to keep it and draw it in my scroll.”

Deathbringer knew this was going to happen, but he wasn’t going to back down from nothing when this was his only chance left at finally giving something for Glory’s hatching day. Even if it wasn’t his, to begin with. “What can I trade you for it? I’m sure there are other flowers that you haven’t discovered yet.”

Parficial shook his head, opening the scroll of flowers. “I’ll have you know, this extraordinary flower’s colors aren’t going to last for long. I won’t mind giving it to you if you don’t mind slightly losing the beauty as it is now.”

Deathbringer wasn’t going to take no for an answer, even worse if this SkyWing would take until the three moons joined up together again to draw if he really is slow as this SkyWing is telling him.

But he was content to know Parficial wasn’t the type to be aggressive, tapping his talons when he reached for a paintbrush in his drawer.

“I’m very sorry if this is what you came for… uh…” Parficial said, questioning his identity.

“Deathbringer,” he replied.

“Deathbringer,” Parficial repeated, “quite a name.”

Moments of silence later, Deathbringer concluded he didn’t have a chance of changing Parficial’s mind. “Well, I’m sorry for intruding.”

“Actually,” the SkyWing said instead, “I remember when I was looking around the north end for a rare daffodil. There is a flower just like this one.”

_Wait, another one?!_

Deathbringer was in shock, but something in his mind wondered. _Why didn’t Turtle’s magic work?_

The reason for the one in Parficial’s talons was simple. It was also dead, but if there was another one, still alive--

“I can’t be too sure, so don’t put your hopes up,” Parficial added, looking at Deathbringer’s excitement. “This one stuck out, but I didn’t think of getting it because it was like plucking a part of yourself when I got close to it.”

“Huh?” Deathbringer muttered, not catching any of it, “What are you saying?”

Parficial traveled to one of his drawers, pulling out a map of Pyrrhia with different colored markings, around the desert sand, the north end of the Sky Kingdom, towards the beaches near the Sea Kingdom, and pointing the north end to Deathbringer. “There.”

It was on the very tip of the north marked with green ink circled in one spot.

“This one was so much more wonderful with these colors,” he said, laying in his talon the _Glory_ flower. “Bigger too.”

Deathbringer’s excitement didn’t suppress his suspicion of trickery. He asked Parficial, “You mind coming with me? That green circle still covers a lot of ground.”

Parficial rolled his scroll and placed the flower down on the flat wooden board. “It’s pretty easy to find, and why not? I’m as curious as you are to its strangeness.”

Although their conversation was quickly cut off when they heard many talonsteps outside the corridor.

“What’s going on?” Deathbringer was quick to dash behind the large wooden closet while Parficial slightly opened the door, silently watching as SkyWings passed by. Something big was happening.

“I think there are visitors.”

Deathbringer’s mind only came to one conclusion.

_They’re here._


	9. Where is he?

_“My Queen, are you sure we’re safe being with the NightWings?”_

_“Your Majesty! My dragonet went missing again!_

_“Do we share the same food with the NightWings?”_

_“Your Majesty, when can we go see that mysterious cave that all the dragons came out from?”_

_“Your Majesty, is it time for dinner yet?”_

The next RainWing, burgundy in color, stepped inside the royal hut. Glory swore she could feel her own head exploding from all the stress of educating much of the uneducated RainWings, with another tribe entirely in her command being another tiring pill to swallow.

Glory knows she can, but on days like this, the burden of urging an entire tribe to turn their back on their old ways and ushering them into not being as lazy as the history scrolls depicted them to be for moons how long...

She did not expect it all to ram at her head-on when she volunteered to be queen.

Glory didn’t even realize her very annoyed look was shining beyond her usual green hues when she looked up to meet the RainWing that entered. “Should I come back another time?”

The Queen of the RainWings shook her talons lazily, the irony flying over her head. “No, no, go on with what you want to tell me. It’s not like I could ignore it anyway.”

After all, she promised her tribe that she’ll be a great queen and shouldn’t betray it.

The RainWing chuckled nervously. “Okay, okay. Well, I came to ask whether I should head out to pick up the art supplies.”

Glory tilted her head. “Okay? You really stayed in line, just to tell me that?”

The burgundy RainWing nodded her head. "Well, I thought I should inform you. Remember how you blew up the last time we disappeared without your express permission?”

Glory’s intellect returned when the RainWing spoke about the earlier times when she actually had the motivation to make a change. “Oh, right, you have a point.”

_Good thing to be reminded that not everyone here is dumb._

That was the only highlight of the day—or, of the last two days. Three? A week?—EVER SINCE her friends unexpectedly came by for a visit while she was keeping an eye on the NightWings as they rebuilt their tribe. She had to make sure none were plotting any assassinations. She knew how a talonful of them were eager to embed a knife into her liver, just as it stabbed their ego that they were subordinates of a queen of lazy RainWings.

At least it was a change, now, but she wasn’t sure she liked it. Ever since coming home into her hut, on the front door of which she had slapped a wooden sign screaming "I'M BUSY!", everything just felt so empty.

But it was obvious from the beginning the source of the silence and emptiness.

_Where. Is. He?!_

Of course, she couldn’t forget the moment Kinkajou panicked when she saw the flower she was about to give Glory for her hatching day was cut off the stem. It’s not that she expected it to be Deathbringer who was responsible, although for someone to disappear after knowing this, all day and night…

But what she really didn’t expect is for him to take this as if it was a severe crime, gone for days trying to complete this quest for a _flower_ of all things. To have skipped bodyguard duty for the first time for a while, in MULTIPLE days! That would put him into detention and probably have him picking fruits for the next decade, although to think of punishing him for a flower, she knew better. Glory couldn’t put it clearly in her head, but she missed him—his annoying smirk, his gnashing laughter whenever he fooled around. How does one become the most annoying yet the most desirable dragon to a RainWing who isn’t lazy and, of course, shouldn’t be taken for granted?

She questioned her own feelings ever since she fell for him. Well, it was probably more like she fell into the hard ground first, but her feelings never lie.

Glory liked— _no_ , _loved_ him.

_Then where. Is. He?!_

It would be understandable to think perhaps a few days gone past, and he’d return with a bouquet of flowers in his talons on her hatching day with a quirky remark about how wonderful she was, and she’d immediately bash it off with a _Shut Up_ and the next set of jobs she’ll have him do afterward… but—

“Sis?” A RainWing dared to enter her private quarters. He lifted the dangling flowers from the doorway to peek his head inside.

“Jambu?” Glory lifted her head, turning towards the doorway. “You know you should knock or holler or anything that doesn’t startle me when there was an obvious sign on the front door.”

“Oh, sorry,” he chuckled, giving a cheeky smile that always lifted part of Glory’s sadness, “but you don’t seem busy—no, you seem a little down.” He approached inside while Glory stood up to watch the setting sun and a flock of dragonets flying back to their huts. “Is there something you want to talk about?”

Glory turned her eye, sighing. “It’s not really a big deal, Jambu,” she mumbled, coiling her prehensile tail.”

“You say that in everything you do.” Jambu took his time to glance at one of the scrolls rolled ‘neath the table, “You telling me now that your lost mate is not a big deal either?”

Glory gasped, with her pinkish cheeks daring themselves to appear, forcing her to look back outside, “ _Mate?!_ ”

“What?” Jambu said after chuckling, “It’s already so obvious to me that I don’t even know why you’re trying to hide it.”

It has been a year, and she'd learned that talking to him, venting to him, just _being_ with him was all she needed for all her stresses to melt away. As challenging as it was for her to accept, Jambu was right.

“Alright,” Glory surrendered, “I’m getting worked up whenever Deathbringer isn’t around. He’s my stress relief, and I need him.”

Jambu chuckled. “It makes me wonder why I laugh whenever I’m right.” He dropped the scroll in his paw. “Wasn’t that the design you and Deathbringer drew as a recommendation for the NightWings’ home?”

Glory remembered that scroll well. She scoffed. “Don’t bring the conversation there. It was regretful thinking that _idiot_ could help design his own tribe’s new home.”

Jambu spoke, his voice calmer, “But it was him that helped you think of a solution, his ridiculousness aiding you to a better idea, right?”

Glory glanced back at him, smiling this time. “Right, right, you’re trying to put the pieces together, but I order you, as Queen, to stop talking about _us_ that way. I need—time, it’s too soon, thinking… ugh.” She shook her head, pacing around the wooden floors.

Jambu agreed for her sake. “Alright, but what’s your plan? You have an entire kingdom to take care of, not to mention where would you even start?”

Glory stopped. She had the kingdom, RainWings and NightWings, and other tribes to deal with. She was only beginning to realize how sheltered she was. . It wasn’t a place for her to wander around regretting about what was happening. She had no time for it. But even if continually reminding herself that she had a duty to the tribe and an oath to abide by since the NightWing exodus and going to the arena to see Sunny’s mother be crowned Queen. She’d hide her desires when she could take to the skies once again. Feel the wind against her, and explore whatever land she’s yet to explore. Suddenly those days being the most wanted and looked at dragons to stop a twenty-year war felt so distant now.

Jambu continued, surprising Glory out of her long moment of reminiscence, “I’m sure you can ask around since Pyrrhia is peaceful, right?”

If only it were that easy. Glory knew the relationships between tribes were as foggy as the morning mist in the rainforest. It wasn’t so clear what each of the Queens desired out of the war since the result turned whack. The IceWings didn’t seem so bothered by whatever the conclusion was. The SkyWings, on the other hand, went a little quiet, and the SeaWings and the MudWings were more or less involved with interactions since they had their own problems to deal with. Jambu’s idea might be possible, ridiculous, but possible.

“It’s not that easy to say,” Glory replied, sighing.

When the Queen glanced to the stars in the darkening sky, it sparked an idea.

_Yeah, why didn’t I think of this before???_

Jambu noticed her shift in thought and peered to ask her, “Now that’s the Queen I know.”

“What do you mean?” Glory scoffed. “I’m still the same!”

“Of course, find your mate first, and then, comes the return of the same old Glory.”

“ _Moons!_ Can you stop referring to Deathbringer like that?” Glory bluntly asked, although the pink on her cheeks grew daringly.

Jambu raised his talons, chuckling. “Okay, but what do you have in mind?”

While the moons rose, Glory stepped forward. “Let’s go Jambu, we need to talk to Grandeur.”

* * *

Chirps from the crickets in the nightfall echoed throughout the rainforest when Glory and Jambu landed upon Grandeur’s personal hut. The creak from the wooden platform forced the old dragon to awaken with a gentle howl, “Seriously? I’m not going to check your fruits at this time!”

_What?_

“Grandeur, it’s Glory!”

“… and Jambu,” he added, popping his head behind Glory.

The tall, purple dragon crawled out into the hanging vines, looking sour as usual. “Oh, forgive me, Ebony is really taking fruit gathering lessons into heart, but being a dragonet, she still has a lot to learn.”

The two half-siblings chuckled. “Oh, apologies for that,” said Glory.

“Don’t apologize,” she scoffed, “but what’s with the sudden visit?”

“Just asking another favor for you to run the Rainforest Kingdom for a few more days while I run some quick needed errands. I’ll be sure to return as quickly as possible.”

“Something happened?” Grandeur asked.

Glory sighed. “No, it’s more of a concern. Missing dragons like before, but not just any dragon, but my stubborn bodyguard.”

“Of course,” Grandeur grumpily replied. “If it’s to relieve you of your Queenly duty for a moment.”

Glory shook her head. “No, that’s not the—”

“Shove it in your mangoes! Your goal, in the beginning, is to change the RainWings for the better? I can see that’s going _really_ well.” Grandeur’s words had the tone of such sarcasm Glory couldn’t decide if she should be shocked or offended.

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but I hate to see my only other granddaughter that has the strength to bring our tribe to a better future be poisoned by stupidity and laziness the longer you stand on the hammock. You can’t give others advice for being better if you can’t be better yourself.”

Jambu stepped in. “I can join her on her quest to find her ma— _I mean_ , Deathbringer,” he quickly replaced, seeing Glory eyeing him closely.

But it would be great when she’s accompanied. Even if Pyrrhia was in a state of peace, being in the wilderness, she knew it would be wise not to be alone if the past taught her anything.

Glory smiled to Grandeur. “Thanks. It won’t be for long, Grandeur.”

“Don’t talk to me like that! These aren’t my last days to live,” the old and narrow-eyed Queen huffed, “I can handle them well enough for you two to return.”

Jambu chuckled, bowing. “Of course, Your Majesty.”

“Let’s go, Jambu,” Glory said, hovering off the platform.

“Dragoness first.”

Glory sighed before they took off for the night.

* * *

To think that the royal hammock was like a prison to Glory is an understatement.

Her scales couldn’t help themselves but flash the color of her happiness when the breeze hit her scales head-on. Her wings slicing through the air current like nothing could stop her from traversing forward. The onward look of the mountains beyond, the clear, night sky enveloping the landscape that it didn’t even look dark to her. Closing her eyes, she took it in joyful wonder. To stretch her wings from being folded for who knew how long was an extravagant delight.

It didn’t take long for the entrance of Jade Mountain Academy to appear. Jambu, who she didn’t even realize was behind her, asked why they were back here since it was currently inactive.

“Starflight might have the tool I need, and we shouldn’t waste time. Hurry up, slowpoke!” she joyfully cheered before they dived into the entrance.

“Hello?” Glory peeked her head inside the library, expecting to see Starflight and Fatespeaker, but it was empty.

Jambu headed over to the walkways that connected every single winglet cave and saw Fatespeaker and Starflight sleeping. He traveled back to meet Glory, who was dawdling around some of the tables of accessories. “They’re sleeping in one of the rooms,” he said.

_Asleep? Weird,_ Glory rightfully thought, since she knew Starflight usually stayed up all night stacked high with scrolls to read back at the cave where they were held.

“I’ve never really explored the academy you built with your friends,” Jambu commented while prancing around every window to see the nightly view of the forest and the sea in the distance.

“It’s big and bustling whenever the class is in session,” Glory casually replied while she continued her search, looking through every container that was in the library.

Nothing.

_Where would it be?_

Glory was about to head into the storage room when she heard the voices of Jambu and someone else talking. She ran upstairs to join him, meeting the eyes of Fatespeaker, who was awoken by Jambu’s rattling. “Don’t you know how to quiet down?” she turned to him with an angered expression.

“No, it’s alright. It’s not his fault,” Fatespeaker calmly stated with a smile. “I woke up to get something to eat.”

The pink RainWing nodded in silence. “Don’t worry, I’ll explore less quietly.”

Glory eventually joined up with Fatespeaker, “I think I know why you’re here,” she chuckled, “and no, he’s not here.”

“I know,” Glory said, sighing, “and he’s not going to stop until he gets me the flower he accidentally ripped.”

Fatespeaker popped a berry in her mouth, giggling. “It’s so wonderful, though, something that small, yet he’s treating it like a lost gem or something like that.”

Glory giggled along with her, her slight red carnations retreating back into her usual green hues. “But for me, it’s been too long, and his absence is seriously messing with my brain that I can’t stop thinking about him.”

“That’s love, Glory,” Fatespeaker defined.

_A weird love…_ Glory’s head couldn’t help but summarize it more accurately.

“I’m sure he’ll return soon. He’s with literally every one of your friends.”

Now, she couldn’t wrap her head around knowing even Tsunami would help with something to get like a flower. _She must even be tired of Deathbringer’s antics._

_I should save her._

Glory looked at Fatespeaker, hoping she could remember. “Do you know where the dreamvisitor is?”

“The what?” Fatespeaker replied roughly.

“The blue star-shaped magic gem that can communicate through one’s dreams?”

It took only a moment until Fatespeaker remembered, mouthing an “oooh.”

“I think Starflight kept it away in the history classroom after Webs talked about Darkstalker in class. I can’t deny how weird that was since that piece of history felt like yesterday.”

_It might as well have been._

Even after all this time, thinking of Darkstalker still sent chills crawling on Glory’s scales, making her shiver.

“Thanks, Fatespeaker.” The RainWing splashed a smile onto her face before heading towards the tidy history classroom.

A few wooden boxes down against the wall were filled with different items. Many were filled with scrolls and materials needed to create writing utensils. A few numbers down the way, following another container filled with scrolls, was one that was filled with antiques and relics. It was an easy sight to spot the glimmering blue gem. Glory picked it up with ease, returning upstairs towards one of the winglet’s rooms.

On her way there, she met Jambu, chattering with Fatespeaker on the balcony near the library. “Oh, Glory! You found the gem you were looking for?” Jambu asked.

“Yes,” Glory replied. “I’ll need some quiet time. But can you tell me who’s part of that _flower rescue team_ , Fatespeaker?”

The NightWing happily nodded, listing down every dragon with Deathbringer, prompting an “okay” from Glory afterward, heading in one of the rooms to lie down and concentrate.

_Deathbringer…_

Nothing appeared in her eyes. As apparent as Deathbringer’s tribe, he was definitely awake.

_Tsunami…_

Nothing.

_Sunny…_

Nothing, again.

_Clay…_

_How is everyone still awake?!_

_Kinkajou…_

Suddenly, the sprawling rainforest dawned on her. She was back. The birds chirped their cheery melodies while the gazing sun shone high in the sky.

_I should’ve known it would be Kinkajou asleep,_ Glory facepalmed… in Kinkajou’s dream.

She flew ahead to where the world existed, flying forward until she met up with Kinkajou, and a familiar SeaWing, playing happily together that Glory couldn’t help but giggle at the glance of Kinkajou's dream.

_Turtle, of course._

Glory quietly moved towards them until Kinkajou noticed her. "Glory?!"

"Kinkajou!"

"You're in my dreams too? Wow! This is so wonderful!"

Glory shook her talons. "You can say that. Can you help me?"

"Of course! If you want unlimited mangoes, I can summon them for you in a blink of an eye! Well, Turtle can."

"Oh no," Glory quickly denied, shaking her head, "I'm fine. More asking about everyone's favorite annoying dragon in the rainforest. I'm sure you know who I'm talking about."

Kinkajou tilted her head, "Annoying?... Oh! Deathbringer?"

Glory nodded.

"I can't be sure if what Deathbringer is doing is beyond the _idiotic_ that you consider," Kinkajou said, her voice tiny. She knew how Deathbringer's stubborn adherence to questionable morals frustrated Glory to no end. His outright disregard of the danger he put everybody in for the sake of said morals would definitely send her on edge.

_What did he put himself AND MY FRIENDS into?!_

Glory grabbed Kinkajou's shoulders. "Where are you? Are you alright?"

Kinkajou nodded calmly. "Yeah. Turtle and I are fine. It's only Deathbringer that's not with us. Oh, and Clay, Sunny, and Tsunami."

"Where are they?"

"They're all on their way to the SkyWings."

Glory stepped back, confusion flourishing in her expression. "What? What are they even hoping to find there?"

They should have backed out the moment their search led to the Sky Kingdom, out of all places! She knew he was smarter than this!

“I know, it’s confusing,” Kinkajou mumbled, the trees around them suddenly shrinking on par with her downcasted tone. Glory could feel herself shrink from bringing down her happy dream. That was only temporary, though, as a rainbow shone through following her next words. “But the flower I gave you is super duper rare! The only other one is with a SkyWing.”

Glory wished she could appreciate that fact right now. To think Kinkajou found something no one else can discover really defined their friendship all these years, yet, Deathbringer’s desire to find another spoke to her on another level.

“I want to thank you so much, Kinkajou.” Glory blossomed her appreciation into a gentle embrace. “You need to help me. You and I both know Deathbringer is taking this ridiculous quest for a flower too far.”

“I think it’s sweet,” Kinkajou commented, but Glory denied it was. Even if that oaf was this determined to bring something back. When all he’s doing is making her worry.

He didn’t need to do all this.

“I think it's beyond idiotic, and I need to remind him,” she sighed. “Someone needs to.”

Kinkajou nodded, understanding Glory’s worry. “Turtle and I will be waiting for you. I don’t know how long until Deathbringer is finished with sneaking around the palace.”

Glory assumed, reading into an assassin that Deathbringer was, that she only had until dawn to find them, infiltrate, and rationally slap his _adorable_ face to remind him of her anger for taking it too far.

They both gave their goodbyes, then suddenly, Glory faced a stone wall. She was back.

Jambu was next to her, in another bed, chewing on something.

“Oh, you’re back,” Jambu mumbled.

Glory knew they shouldn’t waste any time. She got up, grasping the dreamvisitor in talon before facing her half-brother.

“We’re going, Jambu, to the SkyWings.”

* * *

The chills of the nightly breeze helped calm Glory on their flight. The thought of what Deathbringer went through for all this kept haunting her mind. Was he desperate to make a name for himself? Prove something to her? It made her wonder if she hadn’t given him enough attention and recognition that something that she wouldn’t believe Deathbringer would pursue for is that important to him.

She couldn’t deny how thoughtful he was being. That he grew better from his past. To think this was the same dragon from a tribe she wanted to hate because of what they did to her tribe, that this was the assassin formerly under Morrowseer’s command, and he was a _terrible_ dragon indeed. It would’ve been such a heartwarming thought of what became of him, if it wasn’t for the fact that he’s immune to realizing when to stop.

“So, remind me why we’re going to the SkyWings again?” Jambu interfered her long thoughts. “I haven’t been in another tribe at all.”

“We’re not there for a friendly and chatty visit, Jambu,” Glory said.

It was a good thing Ruby was the new queen, or else all their necks were in danger of being axed. Because if it were Scarlet...

Glory remembered all those moments in the arena when she had her first taste of Pyrrhia with her sibs. Hearing the former Queen shout to the prisoners, _“Claws up! Teeth ready! Fight!”_

The ringing of Scarlet’s scathing voice shivered her scales. _Get back into the pit where you came from, stupid memory._

Regardless, no matter how gracious Queen Ruby was, a band of misfits barging in uninvited to her kingdom was a dangerous faux pas—especially if it involved a NightWing with the brain of a cow, stalking around as if he's about to assassinate someone and expecting to have no repercussions. So much for being Morrowseer's protege...

But that’s if he was alone. Where were Tsunami, Sunny, and Clay? She believed how inexperienced they were with infiltration, and Sunny would never choose to take part in something so shady in the first place. What role do they play in Deathbringer’s unnecessarily risky strategy?

“Glory?” Jambu interrupted once again, “Why are we going to the SkyWings?”

“Oh?” Glory replied, confused at first, losing track of her thoughts, “right… We’re going to see Kinkajou and Turtle.”

Hopefully, they were hidden well. Glory carefully observed as she flew. She asked Kinkajou before they parted if there was anything that can help and she mentioned a large circular pond connecting to the stream. When it was in their view. The two RainWings dove towards the roof of the trees to carefully blend and disappear into.

Near that pond were many higher hills and mountains that escalated further in view when Glory and Jambu flew to meet the high point. Ahead of them was a flat ground of grey earth with the Sky Palace's silhouette looming just a few wingbeats away. One side of the flat stone was another cliffside to a higher mountain, but a patch of darkness stuck out. Glory landed to look closer. There was no mistake. A green-colored SeaWing’s top end was hidden amongst the dark color of RainWing scales. Both Glory and Jambu removed their camouflage to meet them. “Kinkajou!”

“Hey, Glory!” Kinkajou rushed to embrace her.

“Woah, this is one dark cave, pretty creepy to live in, don’t you all think?” Jambu said casually, glancing upwards to stare at the stalactites that hung above the dark cave.

“It’s the best place to wait for all of them to come back,” Turtle replied while he approached from behind them. Glory curiously peered at the stick he had in his talons.

“I know I may be asking too much, Turtle,” Glory loosened her hug, looking at the SeaWing, “but isn’t there a way with your magic to just find another similar flower?”

Turtle sighed. “It’s what I’ve been doing since we visited Possibility. I enchanted this stick to search for a flower within a ‘Jade Mountain’ radius and still, nothing.”

_It can’t be that rare that even an Animus dragon can’t find it._

“But Deathbringer should be coming back soon with the flower,” Kinkajou cheered, but Glory didn’t take the good news at heart.

“Where are Clay, Sunny, and Tsunami?”

“That’s the weird part,” Turtle answered. “They’ll be talking to the SkyWing Queen. They’re just a distraction for Deathbringer to make it easier for him to infiltrate, knowing multiple tribed dragons are visiting at such a weird time would bring attention.”

Glory felt her talons grip the stone-cold ground. Her hunch was right.

He sent her friends to the SkyWings, without any formal invitation, into possible danger.

“We can’t be sure if they’re already here, though,” Turtle wistfully added, raising his talons at first before stopping in the middle of his talk when an idea brewed in.

“But I can use magic to know if they’re here.”

The SeaWing grasped a fallen stone nearby and closed his eyes to concentrate. Jambu stayed relatively nearby the entrance glancing out into the bright and hilly landscape, returning to tell them, “There’s a lot of SkyWings heading back to their palace in the distance.”

Not a moment later, Turtle opened his eyes.

“They’re here.”


	10. The Truth

“The palace.” Turtle whispered, pointing at it.

Glory looked forward. She could feel her heartbeat faster than the flaps of her wings as they slowly come closer to the palace. Those tainted memories didn’t leave so quickly as she hoped. She narrowly missed a passing SkyWing guard that flew right above her while the group stayed quiet and disguised.

What was so much more challenging to get used to was Turtle literally flying with them without camouflage like everyone else. Luckily, he was an animus, and the stone he held in his talons kept him invisible from the other dragons while they flew along with the crowd of armored SkyWings.

_ What could all this sudden meetup of guards be about? _

All that Glory could think of at first was the worst-case scenario. Her friends were ending up arrested due to trespassing, and this becomes a public show of example.

_ That would be if Scarlet was Queen. _

Queen Ruby, as far as Glory knew, was a better dragon in… literally every way in her “Queenly” books, and hopefully, by the time they make it toward the palace, if they were caught trespassing, she’d give them an excuse as soon as possible to get them all to safety.

It was the least that she expected when they reached the main hall of the Palace.

Glory saw her three friends, Tsunami, Clay, and Sunny, gathered in a conversation with the Queen and some other SkyWings. It was the strangest thing to ever see in her life. To know that SkyWings were chatting rather than fighting. Still, she had questions she hoped her friends could tell her, appearing before them while she landed to catch the palace's red carpet.

“Glory!” Sunny and Clay cheered upon their landing.

“What in the cocktails and shrimp? Fancy meeting you here,” Tsunami said in a surprised manner.

The RainWing Queen gave the hybrid a warming embrace while exchanging knuckles with the SeaWing. “I’m so glad you’re all fine.”

“But where’s Deathbringer?” Clay concerningly asked, looking around as if he could easily be seen. Glory turned to him. “I was about to ask you all the same thing.”

“I’m sorry?...” One of the SkyWing guards intervened, speaking directly to his Queen. “Where did these RainWings and a SeaWing come from? They literally appeared out of nowhere.”

The SkyWing Queen looked eager to know. “I suppose there’s a reason for more of you to show up here at this time, without a proper reminder?”

Glory quickly took a step forward, mentally resetting herself to confront and speak like a proper Queen to another. “My sincerest apologies, Queen Ruby. Please do excuse my friends and me for coming here without notice and for camouflaging like that.”

“But whatever is the cause for this unexpected visit?” Queen Ruby asked. “I must say how lucky they are that Peril managed to recognize Clay before we suspected danger. Though it’s not like we would’ve done anything savage if they were strangers.”

“Thanks, Peril,” Clay spoke out, leaving the glowing SkyWing to giggle.

“I’ll always see my hunk of brown scales from afar.”

_ Ugh, you two should get a room. _

Glory cleared her throat, but instead, it grew a lump when she thought their reasons for being in the kingdom. What would she say?

_ Tell that my idiot bodyguard is currently and stealthily roaming the halls of their palace? _

“We’ve come in search for… a flower.”

Ruby tilted her head, understandable to Glory how she’s utterly confused as she was. “A what?”

“A flower. And our search for one such rare kind has ended here, with one of your SkyWings,” Sunny suddenly spoke out loud, which was a good thing for Glory since she didn’t know anything about what their search has uncovered.

A few murmurs sounded around them while the Queen stared as if she just realized that there were three moons and not two. “So let me get this straight. All of you… came here… just to get a flower from who?”

“I think his or her name was  _ Parficial _ ?” Sunny tapped her talons underneath her chin.

“Parficial. I should’ve known.” Queen Ruby sighed, first speaking to her SkyWing guards to be freed and return to standard duty. To that, Glory sighed in relief.

“Parficial? OOOOOO!”

A small, dark red SkyWing dragonet peeked its head from the side of Queen Ruby’s crystal throne. “Aww!” Sunny wailed, seeing the little dragon’s curious eyes meet hers.

“Me… see flowers!”

Queen Ruby sighed joyfully, “Cliff, why are you still awake? You should be in bed.”

The dragonet groaned, stomping his tiny claws in disappointment. “Sleeping boring!”

Every moment of being distracted was a second closer to Deathbringer being injured, perhaps by accidentally stepping to a guard’s tail, or just his risky chances he’d take due for this infiltration. Glory tapped her talons impatiently, hoping that Ruby be finished with her dragonet ordeal.

“Peril,” the SkyWing Queen ordered, and she was quick to respond while she was chatting with Clay. “Yes, your fiery SkyWing awaits!”

“Enough of that.” Ruby picked Cliff up. “You know where Parficial’s quarters is that, right?”

Peril nodded. “I mostly ignore it, knowing last time when I accidentally burned his tulips.”

“Just lead them to the hallway. Parficial’s door is literally covered with moss. They can’t miss it.”

* * *

Glory waited for a little until they were a bit farther away from any unsuspecting SkyWings so that she could let them know.

“I’m so happy you all didn’t get in trouble,” Glory stated at first, giving a smile at first, despite something else that bothered her to ask Tsunami directly. “But I can’t believe you let Deathbringer get away with this failure of a plan.”

“Don’t blame it on me.” Tsunami shook her talons, “Your boyfriend didn’t even felt like the Deathbringer I knew before. The dedication he had…” Tsunami paused. It was understandable since Glory was just as confused as the SeaWing was to not have stopped him in the first place.

“What? Did you three hoped that this suicide plan would work?”

Sunny moved in the way from Glory’s look at Tsunami. “We’re all safe in the end, Glory. That’s what matters.”

“Still, you could’ve gotten hurt,” the RainWing Queen bolstered demeaningly. “It doesn’t take a year for suddenly every dragon to return to not attacking first before speaking.  _ Moon’s sake, _ you all just entered the SkyWing’s territory improperly.”

“But they didn’t hurt us,” Clay said, “Peril identified us, and we’re all here.”

Glory hated how she sounded like it was their fault. This was all elaborated by the most gigantic hunk of rotten banana-brain in the entirety of Pyrrhia, and they were not a step closer at all with knowing where he even was.

“Why am I even yelling… DEATHBRINGER!” Glory shouted in the fiery-lit hallways, her scales shifting into colors of anger, disregarding any SkyWings asleep in this particular side, but, fortunately, none of the wooden doors budged.

“Why  _ ARE _ you yelling?” Peril turned around to shush her. “I’m sure you’ll really be in danger for yelling at a sleepy, grumpy general SkyWing prison guard nearby.”

“He’s somewhere here,” Glory said, much more quietly.

“Yeah, basically,” Kinkajou started, a light chuckle before she continued, “Deathbringer wanted to sneak around while you three bothered the Queen and make enough distraction for him to take the flower and fly away.”

“Oh,  _ REALLY? _ ” Tsunami screeched, “Using us as  _ BAIT _ ?! I swear I’ll get my talons on his neck—”

“You have my permission to.” Glory snickered at Tsunami’s deserving rage. “Just help me find him.”

“Well, we’re almost there.”

Peril turned towards another long hallway at the corner where one of the doors stuck out, filled to the brim with hanging vines and moss, just like the Queen said. The room inside was sprouting with more flowers, looking like a garden was shoved inside. It was partially open with a frail wind gust blowing towards them.

“I’ll stay here before I accidentally burn it down like before,” Peril said. “I swear I could think like those flowers are his family members. He wouldn’t shut up about it.”

“I’ll stay with you,” Clay said to Peril, a contented smile on his face.

“Of course, you two…,” Tsunami sighed. “I wish I could sign myself out like that ever since squid-brain showed up at the academy to get the queen’s gift fixed if I knew I ended up being fish bait.”

Sunny stepped in first, gasping for breath at the ludicrous amount of fauna in one room.

“Whoever this SkyWing is, he or she is not someone I’d expect at all.” Tsunami murmured, following after Sunny, and Glory could share that same thought since apparently, all the other SkyWings she faced were, like on the scrolls say, grumpy and dangerous.

“Parficial makes my room look… dull,” Kinkajou casually muttered.

Jambu nodded to that statement. “All I have for flowers are the bushes that are around my hut. This one looks like it's part of our gardens.”

What stuck the most was a worn-out scroll that was rolled neatly in a slanted desk, coupled with a few more stacked neatly behind. But what could be so important to note about these flowers? If this SkyWing was this interested with them, perhaps she could do him a favor and invite him to the rainforest.

Despite all these ( _ remarkable?) _ discoveries, it still didn’t answer the whereabouts of Deathbringer and someone else.

“Wait, where’s Parficial?” Turtle voiced that exact thought. “Deathbringer isn’t here for a reason, but what’s Parficial’s?”

“That’s what’s weird about it.” Tsunami turned around, looking towards the two lovebirds outside. “Peril, where is this SkyWing flower collector.”

“I haven’t seen him since yesterday,” she responded. “He was holding a flower on his talon and literally told me to back away, blabbering about how rare it is and all, like every other flower he brought in.”

“That’s the flower we came here for,” Sunny told Glory, who was flabbergasted when she lifted the scroll to see the  _ Gloryflower _ fall to the floor.

“Oooh, there it is!” Sunny exclaimed, picking it up and placing it on her palm, presenting it to Glory.

“Ahh, finally, so we found it? We can go home now?” Tsunami asked with desperation evident in her voice.

“No, none of this is making sense,” Glory stopped to look around as if the answer could easily be seen. The wind continued to gush inside, blowing some of the candles above near the ceiling.

But that made Glory think, approaching the window and glancing out. “Would anyone feel comfortable sleeping so high up where the wind constantly blows in your face?”

“I wouldn’t…” Jambu shook his head.

“Exactly, so they’re not here. Who would leave the windows open at a windy place like this? Deathbringer and Parficial. They’re somewhere out there.”

It explained all the missing parts of his disappearance. But it didn’t paint a nice picture. What else would he need with a dragon that’s unnecessarily involved with this foolishness? That all dissipated by the very sight of the flower in Sunny’s talons. The solution for their problem was right here.

_ Then where is he? _

Glory always asking herself that question was starting to haunt her. She further skimmed through the scroll's content, which seemed to be Parficial’s collection of flowers talon-drawn. Pure astonishment was all she felt when her eyes caught the first flower drawing, looking almost realistic from the very minute detail down to the stem and near-perfect copy of colors and asymmetrical design and traces of each flower she eyed at.

A while later, she reached the end of this scroll and found nothing interesting in-between until she arrived at the last line. She took note of what was written at the end of the daffodil section in mind.

_ \-- it’s the fourth part of my collection. _

Sunny and Kinkajou on her side were trailing through the other scrolls, and she glared at the pages they were in, adjusting her head until she spotted the  _ 3 _ on Sunny’s and  _ 6 _ on Kinkajou’s.

Trying to confirm her suspicion, she took a second look back at the stack of scrolls that were behind the slanted drawing table, finding three more scrolls with the numbers  _ 1 _ ,  _ 2 _ , and  _ 7 _ .

_ There’s a scroll missing. _

By the time she figured it out, the room was a little quieter than usual. Tsunami returned outside the room, while Sunny, Jambu, and Kinkajou were in awe and cheerily conversating about Parficial’s drawings, to which Glory would agree along with them. Turtle seemed to enjoy studying the fauna instead of helping, but she could understand his amazement for a SkyWing to have such passion for plants, and she was the RainWing Queen.

“—don’t you agree, Glory?” Glory managed to catch those words from Kinkajou when she tapped her. “What?”

“Parficial’s drawings, this one looks so real!” Sunny pointed at a reddish flower drawn in the scroll she was holding.

Glory let herself out of the room later when nothing else left to see that would further help with the investigation. She hoped to ask Peril anything that she knew about Parficial’s exploration habits. Upon arriving at the corner where Clay was at, the Queen herself was present, talking to them, with Cliff eyeing the brown MudWing in awe.

“Brown dragon!”

“Yes, I know, sweetie, but watch out for Peril,” Ruby sounded like she was trying not to offend the firescales. Peril gave the nod instead and moved back for the young dragonet to sniff Clay out of curiosity.

“Stinky!!!”

Glory approached them while they chuckled at the dragonet’s outspoken words. “Queen Ruby, I have some things to share about why we’re really here.”

“Oh, finally coming clean?” Queen Ruby narrowed her eye a little while catching both Peril and Clay’s attention.

“I thought we came here for a flower, isn’t that the truth?” Clay asked her confusingly.

“No, not only that but not only my friend, Deathbringer, a NightWing, sneaked around your palace with intent to probably steal,” Glory softened her voice as her instinct naturally kicked in for a SkyWing attack as it usually comes with any amount of betrayal. She had to continually remind herself that Ruby is different than Scarlet.

The Queen didn’t budge, luckily, giving Glory a chance to relax since it’s been stress ever since coming to the palace.

“So, your friend, unknowingly came here, in hopes to take something that’s not his, from one of my dragons?”

Only silence followed. What filled the air were mostly those chatting about the drawings inside Parficial’s room. Glory should’ve reminded them to leave since, technically, they were invading one’s privacy.

“You hit the cow in the head,” Glory said anxiously.

“Let me speak to Parficial. I hope he’s not going down on another spree of yelling at this time…”

“Oh no, he’s…” Glory followed Ruby from behind just as she approached the green-colored room. Her very presence alone brought the four dragons inside to quietly move away and out the room while she glanced left and right, expecting to see the flower-addicted niece of hers. “Parficial?”

“He’s not here, Your Majesty,” Glory answered the question in Ruby’s head, signaling Kinkajou to move away from the Queen’s view while Cliff sneaked past them to stay by his mother’s talons.

“Before you question anything, Queen Ruby,” Glory exchanged sights with the SkyWing Queen as her face contorted into many different expressions like she had a hard time on which to react first. Glory wanted it for the moons if she could try to alleviate the chances of anger to spark upon the royalty and share her exact same feeling of confusion. “Deathbringer would never try to hurt any dragon.”

“Believe me,” Tsunami scoffed, “he’ll regret it for the rest of his life even if he tried hurting anyone.”

“I trust you all,” Ruby said in a calming manner, smiling, even though one of her dragons is literally missing because of  _ him _ . If Glory knew from the past, a queen that made a vow to protect wouldn’t be as calm as Ruby is now.

That would be the case if it was on the talons of those she doesn’t trust, like the NightWings from back then. Glory felt relief to know she trusted them.

“The SkyWing generals that I have in my arsenal are still fresh from the war and still craves the need of battle,” Queen Ruby explained, further giving a reason that she wanted this to be more in the quiet hands of the group rather than have her officials handle with an obvious chance of having Deathbringer’s head in a platter.

“Where’s flower dragon?” Cliff appeared from the dimly lit Parficial’s room with a slight frown on his face.

“I put you all with the responsibility of finding Parficial sound and safe,” the queen declared when she turned back to formally glare at them.

“Wait...” Glory quickly said before Ruby was about to leave back to the main halls with her dragonet.

“Yes?”

“About Parficial,” Glory hummed for a little before continuing. “I think he’s probably guiding Deathbringer to something. I really can’t think of a reason for Deathbringer to force Parficial into anything—”

_ That’s not my Deathbringer… _

“—other than guidance or help. Maybe, to find a flower as similar as this one.” Glory lifted the small head of the flower in her talons for Ruby to take a look at.

“My, such colors,” Ruby said in slight amazement, grasping the flower pedal and spinning it around her talons. As curious as his mother was, the prince climbed up to his mother’s paw to see it.

“Ooh,” Cliff mouthed out melodically, his eyes focused.

The queen looked at it with a look of familiarity.

“I’ve seen this before. In a drawing,” Queen Ruby strangely brought up when Glory remembered the latest scrolls from Parficial didn’t have the flower in particular noted. It could be written from the missing fifth scroll of his collections.

“Parficial drew?” Glory asked, catching Ruby’s eyes, and she shook her head.

“No, he actually brought that scroll himself to me. It was the reason that he left the Sky Kingdom in the first place.”

Glory nodded, taking in the information into thought, but one must wonder…

“Is that scroll still here?” Glory asked.

“It should be. I don’t think Parficial brought it with him when he went exploring.” Ruby sounded unsure, but Glory kept her hopes up.

* * *

Glory discussed the findings and knowledge of the matter with all her friends that came for help. Realizing that this became a much smaller and more controllable situation, Glory ultimately decided that she didn’t want this much crowd just searching for two dragons. Kinkajou and Jambu opted themselves out instead to help manage the Rainforest Kingdom while Grandeur took Glory’s place. The rest headed off to the library with the SkyWing Queen after waving goodbye to the two RainWings.

They traversed through a courtyard just outside the main palace halls and flew down into a dome just under the palace. Inside its slightly rotting door was an empty stack of scrolls all over the perimeter of the space. Ruby’s guard sat on the side while she took a torch and light it with her flame before she dusted the room with her large wings.

Glory peeked her head in the room before Tsunami intentionally swung her head close to hers. “I never expected the SkyWings to have a library, let alone have scrolls at all,” she whispered.

“Not everyone is like Scarlet, Tsunami,” Turtle replied.

“I know, I know, I’m just saying.”

Clay suddenly sneezed when he was near them, unaware of the dust floating out of the room and into his nostrils.

“Bless you,” Ruby chuckled when she turned to give her clearance that the library is clean.

After a few minutes of glancing around, Ruby returned to Glory with a scroll tied with a delicate blue ribbon. “This one.”

Glory moved out into the open space to take in the more cold and open air of the night. It surprised her that she hadn’t felt drowsy at all throughout this entire adventure. This slight diversion to her typical day really awoken her from feeling dread ever since being queen. She didn’t take any positive note of this small disturbance to her job as a queen of a tribe. This could've been all avoided.

_ Would it? _

What strikes as odd to her about it was this was all Deathbringer. All his doing. On his own.

A pang of conflict flourished in Glory's thoughts while she stared at the scroll, then the darkness outside, only blanketed by the moons and the stars slowly falling on the horizon. The morning was coming.

_ Where are you? _

She wanted to feel thankful to Deathbringer, congratulate him with showers of blissful attention. This might be his way to remind her, whether he knew it or not. This hadn't crossed her mind ever since they were together, in this new peaceful continent that had its claws bound from war for so long. 

It just felt so surreal to have accomplished something that inspired her to do more. But with how long it's been since, she lost that spirit of change and now is only devoted to being a Queen, like everyone else.

Maybe Grandeur was right.

Glory felt a talon poke on her side. Her downcasted face brightened to see Clay. "Are you going to read it, or do we need Starflight and Fatespeaker?"

Sunny, Turtle, and Tsunami were on her other side. "That's my line, Clay!" Tsunami said, and they all chuckled.

Then Sunny held her left talon, a contented smile growing on her face that shimmered hope, as she always thought positively. "We'll find him, Glory."

Glory felt her heart rise from her chest. Her sibs back together will always be a glorious moment, bringing back the memories of just a family born from a false prophecy only to bring Pyrrhia back together in peace.

“Let’s not waste any time and see what in that old scroll can help us with finding your lost boyfriend.”

It was understandable to know it would be Tsunami wanting to hurry things along. They didn’t need their time wasted any longer for something only Glory and Deathbringer should be involved.

With the scroll in her talons, Glory untwined the ribbon and opened the scroll. It was in a diary-like format—life in the view of another SkyWing.

The year was set on the very top. The ink looked ancient in its state. A slight grey shine within the black inked markings. At some spots on the sides and within the writing were large circles that looked out of place.

“Three moons,” Tsunami whispered while she took her time glancing through the neatly written letters. Glory agreed. Aware that they weren’t used to seeing SkyWing writing so distinct, yet so formal.

But Glory was wrong. “Wake me up when you’re all done reading,” Tsunami spoke lightly, trudging away to curl herself next to the grey wall of the library while the SkyWing Queen passed by.

“Is that the one?”

Glory and Sunny looked at her, then back at the scroll, unrolling more to find a familiar drawing.

“Yes,” Glory nodded. “Yes, it is.”

“Tell me of what you find. I need to tend to my kingdom,” the Queen stated before she and her guard took off back to the palace.

With nothing left but the content written inside being their last clue to finding Deathbringer and Parficial. Glory looked into the first texts.

The scroll was written as follows:

_ 3,013 AS _

_ It’s hard. _

_ The guilt in me is overbearing. Why did I lie about this? _

_ I betrayed my own tribe, _

_ My Queen, _

_ My love, _

_ Myself. _

_ My desire for time to reverse has never been this strong, even if it was a year after what happened. _

_ I was heartbroken. I know. _

_ Why did I do it? _

_ I never felt like myself whenever it comes back to haunt me. _

_ Deception to condemnation. _

_ He deserved it. She deserved it. _

_ No, they didn’t. It didn’t have to end that way. _

_ Why? We were destined to be together. _

_ You forced me into this! You forced me to fall into the pit of darkness that swallowed me whole and left me blind and feral. That wasn’t me. It wasn’t, but it was. _

_ She’s dead. No, he’s also dead. I did it to him too. _

_ I was meant to be king, and you, my princess, to be my Queen. _

_ You promised me love. You promised me a long reign. You promised me dragonets. _

_ And this is what you do to me. _

_ What did I do? I know I wasn’t perfect, but what could I have done to deserve such betrayal that forced me into the same fate? _

_ I couldn’t sleep because of you. My last peaceful rest was before we were to be destined. All ladies and gentledragon of the SkyWings would know of our love, promise them a great reign after your success in defeating Queen Carmine. I guess that was a lie, Princess Garnet. _

_ You’d disappear when I needed you. Maybe I was too selfish to notice you, but I had you in my mind. I tried. I always aim to improve. _

_ I showed my dominancy. Showered you with every affection I could give you. _

_ But you rejected it, even if I was favored over all other SkyWings by your mother, your Queen. _

_ You had no choice, but I’m to show that it won’t be as terrible as you always portray to your sisters and brothers. _

_ The SkyWings need a king who could fight. _

_ But if I couldn’t even fight for your love… _

_ No one should take you. _

_ See that? You did this to me! _

_ After you left the coronation. Then adding insult to the scar that you left in my heart. Did you dare to meet with another dragon of another tribe? _

_ This… IceWing… you chose THAT ICEWING OVER ME?! _

_ I’ve struggled. I have split apart in two. I wanted to protect you from myself, from him. I wanted to hurt you, return the feeling you left on a night that was supposed to be memorable. _

_ You did. It was memorable. It never left me. _

_ Maybe I’m confessing, perhaps I’m not. Was it my fault? No… _

_ Yes… _

_ I fought for you, I headed north where you always were whenever you’re out and about, and I’d find you with that flower that I thought was meant for me. _

_ I defended you. I even tried not believing you chose him over me. _

_ Then why did you… _

_ My spear was supposed to pierce his heart. To ensure your heart belonged to me. _

_ You fell to his talons. Catching what was destined to be a way to seal a wrongful fate. _

_ You fell in blood. You died for him. _

_ I screamed for you. He screamed for you. But it was a horror to see around me. The earth was shaking, the dirt spiraling all over him. To see Agate Mountain sinking, for Jade Mountain to rise, this was his power?! _

_ He was magic. Who was he? What was that power? _

_ Maybe I was unlucky. I wished for my love to reflect with such power. _

_ My guardians and I barely escaped. I watch at a distance while he bled to death next to you. Watched as finally, the nightmare seemed to be over. _

_ If it had only ended there. _

_ It was like his powers still resided. The flower that was between them still bloomed, growing its roots. A color like no other. A reminder that needed to die along with both of you. _

_ I didn’t need it. _

_ I tried to burn it. _

_ But that day replayed in my mind. _

_ Over and over. _

_ Forever. _

* * *

Glory was speechless mere minutes after reading. She turned around to see both Sunny and Clay joining Tsunami to rest. She wasn’t sure if she could even fathom the thought of resting after what she read.

It only worried her more that this may be what Deathbringer and Parficial sought. A flower tainted with bad blood, of bad history, and they were approaching blindly into danger, and they’re not even aware of it.

“Animus-touched,” Turtle snorted, who was the only one that was interested enough to read.

Glory thought to herself wise to have Turtle here just in case such a problem like this needed magic and his understanding of animus.

“Can you figure out what enchantment is magicked in the flower?” Glory asked. Her tone of worry woke the other three up.

“Did I hear magic?” Sunny said, rubbing her eyes with her talons.

“Whoever this writer is, he didn’t make it clear. I can’t say to be sure, but it could be just simple magic where the flower is invulnerable to any physical harm.”

“We shouldn’t waste time,” Glory said, passing glares to one another. “If Parficial took notes, they headed north. That must be where they are.

“Finally, to get my chance of punishing Deathbringer!” Tsunami cheered jokingly, stretching her wings.

After what Glory read, though, the tone of “punishing” sounded different to her.

They flew back towards the palace to notify Queen Ruby of what they found, but coming inside, she was speaking to a dragon. He looked distraught. He was bright red in color, but it was easy to differentiate his scale color and the oozing of blood within the scars on the side of his neck and face. He was out of breath when he turned around to see them.

“Are those his friends?” the dragon asked the Queen.

_ His? _

Ruby nodded.

The morning sun rose behind her, but the light in her heart faded into darkness as the dragon spoke.

“I’m Parficial. Deathbringer… he tried to kill me.” 


End file.
